Dental-Related Steps That Will Keep You Motivated To Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking will do wonders for your dental health and your overall health, but given the challenge of this task, it's ideal to do what you can to get some motivation. Fortunately, your local family dental clinic can often provide that motivation. Perhaps you're a few days or weeks without a cigarette, but you feel a little shaky about putting the habit behind you for good and could use some help. Here are some ways to get the help and motivation that you need from your family dentist.

Get Your Teeth Cleaned

One good idea to consider when you've been able to keep from smoking for a short amount of time is to visit your family dentist for a teeth cleaning. Your teeth may feel and look grimy after you've smoked for a long time, but a dental cleaning is an investment in the look and health of your teeth once you've stopped smoking. You may feel much less of a compulsion to pick up your cigarettes again, too, after you've made this investment in a cleaner and healthier smile.

Get Your Teeth Whitened

One of the most obvious ways that smoking has an impact on your teeth is by turning them yellow. Even smoking for a short amount of time can affect the appearance of your teeth, but long-time smokers are seldom able to escape the staining and yellow hue that come with this unhealthy habit. You can increase your motivation to quit for good by visiting your family dentist to have your teeth whitened. While a dental cleaning is also good, a whitening session dramatically changes how your teeth look — and you may suddenly feel highly resistant to allowing them to yellow again from smoking.

Get Some Dental Work Done

If you have a need for dental work, you may have been putting it off because you know that your smoking has led to an unhealthy mouth. With a short period of no smoking behind you, now might be the time to consider some basic dental work. For example, perhaps you get a veneer or get some bonding done. You may have been reluctant to do so when your teeth were yellow, but now that you've had them whitened and are working hard to avoid taking up smoking against and causing your teeth to once again get yellow. Some simple dental work can be a big motivator to keep smoking out of your life.

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