How Cannabis Affects Your Oral Health
If we think of drugs in general, the main effect most drugs have on teeth is to decrease salivary secretion. The mouth becomes dry so we have no saliva. It will lead to a condition called dry mouth.
Saliva has beneficial properties on teeth. If we no longer have it, the neutralizing power of the acids in the bacteria will decrease, and the substances in saliva with a role in protecting and remineralizing the enamel will be in low numbers. So, cavities will appear much faster.
Another cause of drug use can be dental erosion (acid dissolution of dental hard tissue).
CANNABIS (marijuana, pot, weed)
Probably the most commonly used drug worldwide.
Reduces salivary flow. Your mouth is drier when you smoke weed. If we don’t have enough saliva, cavities will appear faster because we won’t have all those benefits saliva has on our teeth.
Does smoking marijuana cause cavities?
The answer is yes and no. Technically, smoking marijuana does not cause cavities, but it causes a condition called xerostomia which is a persistent dry mouth. More dryness causes more plaque or more debris to stick which can cause more cavities and more gum disease too as well.
Not forget about cravings for sweets, because cannabis is an appetite stimulant. You tend to reach for something that’s going to satisfy your carb craving right away which can be any sugar, chocolate, chips or anything like that. Increased consumption of sweets and fizzy drinks will have an effect on the teeth and cavities will appear faster.
What happens to your gums when you smoke marijuana?
There have been studies that even if you remove the use of smoking cigarettes, alcohol, social status, and oral health, there is a direct relationship between cannabis use and periodontal disease.
What is periodontitis? (periodontal disease)
It is a severe gum infection that can lead to tooth loss. Is the decrease of bone in your mouth. The gingival inflammation that happens when you smoke marijuana it can be reversed, but once the bone is affected then you can’t grow bone back. You end up with loosen teeth because you start losing a lot of the support (gums and bone) and that’s periodontitis in short.
Other side effects are:
· Inflammation — gingival enlargement, so your gums become really puffy (early stages of gum disease)
· Erythroplakia — which is basically white and red spots along the gum line, just like an irritation
You can get something like leukoplakia which is basically an irritation or a „precancerous” condition that happens in the mouth. Usually, it can be found insides of the cheeks, lips, under the tongue, and the floor of the mouth.
Should you smoke marijuana prior to seeing your dentist?
Definitely no. Contrary to popular belief, smoking marijuana does not help with anxiety. It actually increases your heart rate. So if you smoke marijuana before you go to the general office and don’t tell the doctor that you smoked and for example it happen to getting a filling that day, the doctor will use an anesthetic which contains epinephrine (which is basically adrenaline). And if you also drank coffee before it could be life-threatening.
One of the symptoms of smoking or consuming cannabis is paranoia. So you’re going into a space that is naturally anxiety provoking so you’re gonna get even more anxious and more paranoid which makes a very not fun dental visit.
What else could go wrong?
I think the biggest thing is it’s going to affect decision-making. If you are under the influence of marijuana when you go see the dentist make sure you tell your dentist because they can manage the situation more appropriate.
How do you maintain a good oral health if you are a regular consumer of cannabis?
The best thing you can do after you smoke it is rinse out with water rigorously. Swish the water around for 30 seconds to get all the debris out on the sides.
If you want to have a good oral hygiene is really important to flossing, brushing and water piking. The last one helps with dry mouth and then it’s gonna dislodge anything that could have been stuck throughout the day. So, be very mindful about brushing, flossing and using waterpick.
If you are going to drink fuzzy drinks, pop or energy drinks, you should drink it through a straw so it goes past your teeth and down your throat.
Maybe it’s a better idea to do edibles in terms of oral health, because the edibles reduces the risk of oral hygiene damage and oral cancer. The carcinogens found in smoke are the ones that actually irritate the mucosa and they lead to a higher risk for cancer if you’re smoking it. Also is not as harmful for your lungs as well because you’re not smoking that all bad smoke.
If you are a regular consumer of cannabis and you want to maintain your teeth and gums to their optimal health it’s important to schedule an appointment with a dentist every six months. And the most important thing, be honest with your dentist if you’re a consumer. It’s important to know how often you’re doing it, how you’re doing to, for how long, because it can help you to bring your oral health to a priority and will prevent gum disease and cavities from happening.