Another potential effect that smoking has on the overall health of the body has also been recently suggested, with some data indicating that smoking might have detrimental effects to the success of dental surgery. According to the findings of a study recently published in the Journal of Periodontology, smokers were more likely to have unfavorable results related to dental surgery than non-smokers. The study followed the dental records of two groups of people, smokers and non-smokers, and studied the overall success of various dental procedures done to them.  While smoking has always been known to have the ability to damage the gums, it was unexpected when the researchers realized that the surgical procedures done to the smoking group were in overall worse condition as opposed to the other group. This was particularly true when it came to procedures that involved the gums, which were found to be in more rapid recession after surgery if patients were smokers.

It has been known for many years that healing after a surgical procedure is impaired by smoking, but what was unknown prior to this study was that smoking also had one more detrimental effect. Long-term smoking was capable of undoing any surgical repairs done to the gums, rendering anything done during the procedure unable to stay intact for a long-term period. Theoretically, the more a person smokes, the more damage is incurred and the shorter the period that the repairs will remain. The researchers found, based on analysis of their data, that the best results were achieved if smoking was stopped for a period before and after the surgery. This was speculated to be the time needed by the gums to fully recover from any damage done by exposure to the components of tobacco.

The Journal also found that it is not just cigarette smokers that have this problem. Cigar and pipe smokers are also likely to experience rapid decay of gum repairs because of their habit. While the damage done has been confirmed, there is still no concrete data on whether or not cigarette smokers had it worse off than pipe or cigar smokers. For the time being, some believe it would be safe to warn smokers of the potential dangers as if all three posed the same risks.

Second-hand smoke was also found to have a damaging effect on surgical procedures.  Studies are still being made to determine the extend of damage wrought by second-hand smoke on dental works.   Tests conducted on rats showed that second-hand smoke was capable of undoing any repairs done via surgery to the gums, but it is still unknown just how much exposure was needed to do damage, or if the damage was lesser or greater than for actual smokers.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

You all know or should know about the health risks and I will not rehash it. What I want to talk to you about is the financial impact. I smoked 2 packs of cigarettes per day and on a good Friday night out on the town it could sometimes be as much as 3 packs.

Ok.. here it comes. Two packs of cigarettes per day at an average cost of $3.50 per pack multiplied by seven days equals $49.00 per week or $2555.00 for one year. Now lets take a teenager at age 18 who starts to smoke and lets also assume they were to stop at age 65 on retirement which is 47 years. 47 years x $2555.00 = $120,085.00 spent on cigarettes at todays prices.

Now a hundred and twenty thousand dollars is in itself not enough to make you rich but you could buy some pretty nice stuff for that amount. The magic is in a little thing called compound interest. Assuming that instead of smoking – You took that same two packs per day or seven dollars and invested it in a mutual fund. Let’s also assume that you invested it in an index mutual fund which over the lifetime of the stock market has averaged 10% per year. After 47 years you would retire with $2,730,489.02. That almost $3 Million dollars. How is that for an incentive to not smoke?

What about the rest of us who have smoked for 20 plus years? A man or woman who quit at age 40 under the same scenario who save $282,615.51. Now that’s not a million dollars but it would still buy a pretty nice home. What is even more astounding is that these figures are based on today’s prices and don’t even account for inflation over the same amount of time.

Even if you are not interested in investing the money saved from smoking then think about this: $2555.00 applied one time each year to a $200,000.00 mortgage would cut 10 years off of a 30 year loan. You would be paying your home off in one-third the time.

The bottom line: If your health and family aren’t enough to make you stop – Think about why your not living next door to the rich and famous. I hope this gives you food for thought about all the extras in life you are giving up by smoking.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Lung cancer is a smoke-related ailment that is caused by smoking or inhaling secondhand smoke, exposure to environmental pollutants like asbestos and radon gas, and family history of lung cancer may increase the risk of developing lung cancer of certain individuals. Smoking marijuana is also considered another factor that may contribute to the development of lung cancer. In addition to these causes, individuals whose lungs were damaged by other lung conditions may also increase their lung cancer risk.  Among these causes, smoking is the major source of this ailment and has taken the lives of about 80-85 percent of lung cancer patients.

Most lung cancers originate in the cells that line the bronchi, a caliber of airway in the respiratory tract that transfers air into the lungs. It may take years before lung cancer develops and hamper the function of the lungs. Shortness of breath could be the early signs of lung cancer because tumors may block movement of air through the bronchi and the lungs. In addition, tumors may also hamper the normal movement of mucus up into the throat, this may cause mucus buildup and lead to infection. If not diagnosed and treated in its early stages, lung cancer may spread to other parts of the body.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites