By Arthur Kezian
Chewing Tobacco was one of the ancient practices followed all over the world. It was widely practiced before the invention of cigarettes in the early 20th century. It is a smokeless tobacco normally placed between the cheek and gum or upper lips and crushed with the teeth and the juice spit out. It is normally mixed with calcium carbonate known as mineral lime before consuming. In US this habit was wide spread among the farmers of North and South America. Dr. Kezian a dentist from Los Angeles who is specialized in dental hygiene has been treating patients with problems related to smokeless tobacco. Dr. Kezian and his staff have been treating these patients with the latest and the most advanced technology available to treat smokeless tobacco related deceases like oral cancer, leukoplakia or lesions and gum related diseases.
Smokeless Tobacco: The Statistics
- Smokeless tobacco consumption was widely prevalent in the 19th century but after the invention of cigarettes, consumption of smokeless tobacco came down considerably. But thanks to the advertisements creating awareness about the bad affects of cigarette smoking, the consumption of smokeless tobacco again went up considerably. Consumption of smokeless tobacco has alarmingly gone up among the younger generation during the last many decades worldwide. Since they have grown up hearing cigarettes are injuries to health, they found an easy solution in chewing tobacco to fulfill their nicotine urge without knowing the after affects.
- In US alone, study has found that 25 to 30 percent of the people use smokeless tobacco. People are of the assumption that smokeless tobacco is not harmful and is the best alternative for cigarettes. Many companies have exploited this lack of awareness into money especially the younger generation by selling smokeless tobacco with catchy captions. Some professionals like Dr. Kezian have been fighting this menace and have been trying to create awareness against smokeless tobacco and its effects.
Smokeless Tobacco And Its Repercussions
- Smokeless tobacco contains 28 cancer-causing agents and toxins which are very harmful to dental hygiene and are known to cause cancer of the oval cavity. Once the cancer sets in, it is very difficult and time consuming to treat it and after the treatment your face becomes so disfigured sometimes creating a gaping hole in the side of the cheek or front lips. It also affects the oral health of a person and continuous use can develop lesion in the soft tissue in the mouth which is precancerous. It also develops gum disease and tooth decay.
- Smokeless tobacco use during pregnancy increases the risk of high blood pressure and swelling and it also reduces the sperm count in men. Continuous use of chewing tobacco can cause permanent discoloring of the teeth and promote bad breadth. Disfigurement caused by oral cancer to your face will stick with you throughout your life even after full treatment.
Dr. Arthur A. Kezian DDS 443 N. Larchmont Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 467-2777