Teens & Tobacco: Know the Risks

Today, Dr. Meghna Dassani of Dassani Dentistry wants to give teens the bottom line about tobacco use: there is no such thing as a “safe” or “safer” tobacco product. Every tobacco product contains nicotine in varying amounts—and not only is nicotine addictive, but it can also harm the brain. (Many people don’t realize the brain continues developing until the mid-20s or even early-30s.)

• Cigarettes are usually made of tobacco and chemical additives in a paper casing. Inhaled smoke from a lit cigarette contains more than 7,000 harmful chemicals; at least 70 of them are linked to cancer. Smoking cigarettes damages almost every organ of the body and leads to diseases like oral cancer and lung cancer, heart disease and stroke.
• The “vaping” of e-cigarettes has become increasingly popular in recent years. These devices heat liquid into an aerosol that is then inhaled by the user. Many believe this aerosol is innocuous, but it actually contains many chemicals that are unsafe to breathe. Most e-cigarettes also contain nicotine.
• Smokeless tobacco is tobacco that is not burned and includes chewing, oral and spitting tobacco, dip, chew, and snuff. Smokeless tobacco has high levels of toxic chemicals, and users are at high risk of oral cancer.

Oral cancer is one of the fastest-growing cancers worldwide, and Dassani Dentistry wants all their young patients to enjoy long, healthy lives. Get in touch with us at Dassani Dentistry with any questions about tobacco use and oral health today.

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

About Meghna Dassani, DMD

Dr. Meghna Dassani received her initial dental training from the University of Mumbai, India, where she graduated in 1996 as Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). After working as an associate for one year, she established her own practice in Mumbai, India. She successfully operated this practice for six years prior to moving to the US. When Dr. Meghna Dassani is not in the office she is at home being a mommy to her 2 beautiful girls and enjoying time relaxing with her husband. Since opening her own practice in 2011 she doesn’t have a lot of free time but when the time allows she enjoys traveling, reading, gardening, cooking, visiting with friends and family and of course SHOPPING with a Starbucks in her hand!