Table of contents
The impact of smoking on dentures and oral health
It’s no fairytale that smoking is bad for your health. But what about smoking when you wear dentures? Well, sorry to play the wicked stepmother here Snow-White, but this brings a whole other basket of poison apples and not just aesthetic ones. Smoking can stain and roughen denture surfaces, dry your mouth, slow healing after extractions or implants, and increase the risk of painful infections under your denture. Because these changes are gradual, it is easy to miss the link between cigarettes and a loose, uncomfortable or unattractive denture. In this article, we look at the challenges smoking poses for denture wearers and what you can do to reduce the damage, whether or not you are ready to quit.
The denture staining problem nobody talks about
Speaking of Snow-white, most of us dream of having a snowy white smile, so easily attainable with dentures. But did you know that tobacco products discolour dentures faster than natural teeth? While neither option is good, vapes, or heated tobacco products like e-cigarettes, are lesser evils compared to conventional tobacco smoke which is the bigger staining culprit.[i] The materials your denture is made from also play a role. Acrylic dentures and acrylic teeth generally stain more easily than options that use harder porcelain or ceramic teeth.
The toxic substances in tobacco smoke have the added effect of damaging the denture’s surface which becomes roughened, allowing greater bacterial accumulation, further exacerbating the discolouration problem but also posing the potential for wider health issues.
What about vaping instead of smoking?
Many smokers switch to vaping hoping it will be kinder to their dentures and mouth. While vaping may cause less staining than traditional cigarettes, it can still dry out your mouth, irritate oral tissues and increase the risk of gum problems and infection under your dentures. If you vape or are thinking about switching, read our full article on the effects of vaping on dentures for more detail.
Why your dentures don't fit like they used to
Given the increased potential for bone loss that smokers face, it’s timely to talk about denture fit. Why is fit so important? Without a snug fitting denture, you can’t adequately chew your food. This instability when chewing causes discomfort and even pain. Smiling, speaking or laughing is accompanied by fear of your denture dislodging or in extreme cases, even falling out. Cigarette smoking can decrease the jawbone thickness and density which is crucial to supporting teeth and dentures so essential to good denture fit.[ii] Bone resorption causes changes in jaw shape and contours making a once snug fitting denture become loose and unstable.
When your mouth becomes too dry for comfort
Tobacco products can also increase symptoms of dry mouth by reducing the rate of salivary flow.[iii] The chemicals in cigarettes destroy the protective enzymes and proteins found in saliva, which has implications for more severe oral health problems. Reduced saliva production causes denture discomfort as tongue and lips tend to stick leading to ulcerated and sore mucosa.[iv] Among other oral disorders, cigarette smoking is associated with an increased possibility of denture stomatitis, a painful inflammation of the oral tissues presenting as redness, swelling, and sores or ulcers.[v]
Healing after tooth loss - Why smokers struggle
Tobacco smoking adversely affects almost all therapeutic procedures performed in the oral cavity.[vi] Smoking is known to delay the healing process.[vii] This is an issue for folk who’ve had tooth extractions in preparation for fitting a new denture. It’s especially bad news for those whose hearts are set on having implants where the rate of failure is considerably higher among smokers.[viii]
Smoking tobacco products alters the oral environment in ways which suppress the body’s immune response which is the major defence against infection and which can contribute to delayed healing after oral surgery.[ix] Smoking narrows your blood vessels and damages cells, which slows down how well your mouth heals after procedures.[x] This can cause problems with how your gums and any dental implants recover.[xi]
In addition, a smoker’s denture has increased surface roughness, making it more vulnerable to bacterial buildup and further increasing the likelihood of oral infections. Vaping, while less damaging than smoking cigarettes, is still connected to elevated periodontitis rates and increased caries risk.[xii] Evidence suggests that vapers tend to report more gum pain and oral complications than non-vapers.[xiii]
The real cost of smoking with dentures
Lastly, but never least is how the cost of smoking impacts your hip pocket. Frequent denture repairs, relines, replacements, and professional cleanings required because of smoking add up. Smoking impacts your denture’s longevity. The possibility of medical and other related costs increase with the greater risk smoking imposes on your oral health.
The social costs cannot be ignored either. Smoking can affect your ability to enjoy your food by reducing your ability to taste and smell. A stained or discoloured denture can affect your appearance and subsequently your self-confidence. In these days of social media, where appearance can affect not just your desirability quotient and even your employment opportunities, a bright smile is essential.
Recommended actions
- It is essential for smokers to practise good denture hygiene to mitigate the increased risks smoking imposes.
- Oral health professionals strongly advise patients to cease smoking as part of pre-operative and post-operative care to improve blood flow, promote tissue regeneration, and reduce complications. [xiv]
- Regular oral health check-ups are important to monitor the health of oral tissues and the condition of the dentures.
- With the growing popularity of vaping with young people, better public education campaigns are needed to help people understand the dangers vaping poses to their mouth and teeth.[xv]
What you can do
If you intend to continue your smoking habit even after you’ve finished reading this article, a chat with your prosthetist is a wise move. Letting them know you are a smoker may influence the denture materials and surface finishes they choose, because some options are smoother and more stain‑resistant than others. However, nothing ensures bright white teeth as well as avoiding tobacco products altogether.
References
[i]El Shafei SF, Amin AH, Abdelghaffar EG, Moataz S, Makkeyah F, Shamel M, Al Ankily M. The effect of cigarette smoking and heated tobacco products on different denture materials; an in vitro study. BMC Oral Health. 2025 Feb 2;25(1):179. doi: 10.1186/s12903-025-05448-x. PMID: 39894835; PMCID: PMC11789351.
[ii]Sahtout GF, Burhan AS, Nawaya FR. Effect of cigarette smoking on alveolar bone thickness and density in patients undergoing leveling and alignment of crowded lower anterior teeth: a controlled clinical trial. Journal of International Medical Research. 2022;50(11). doi:10.1177/03000605221138461
[iii] Dry mouth - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-mouth/symptoms-causes/syc-20356048.
[iv] Doppalapudi R, Vundavalli S, Rao AK, Vadapalli SB, Rao DC, Thabusum A. Relation between Clinical Oral Dryness Score and Denture Satisfaction among Patients' in a Tertiary Care Centre, India. J Clin Diagn Res. 2017 May;11(5):ZC64-ZC67. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2017/25696.9881. Epub 2017 May 1. PMID: 28658910; PMCID: PMC5483812.
[v] https://bmcoralhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12903-021-01807-6
[vi] Kasat V, Ladda R. Smoking and dental implants. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2012 Jul;2(2):38-41. doi: 10.4103/2231-0762.109358. PMID: 24478965; PMCID: PMC3894084.
[viii] Mustapha AD, Salame Z, Chrcanovic BR. Smoking and Dental Implants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Medicina (Kaunas). 2021 Dec 27;58(1):39. doi: 10.3390/medicina58010039. PMID: 35056347; PMCID: PMC8780868.
[ix] Balaji SM. Tobacco smoking and surgical healing of oral tissues: a review. Indian J Dent Res. 2008 Oct-Dec;19(4):344-8. doi: 10.4103/0970-9290.44540. PMID: 19075440.
[x] Balaji SM. Tobacco smoking and surgical healing of oral tissues: a review. Indian J Dent Res. 2008 Oct-Dec;19(4):344-8. doi: 10.4103/0970-9290.44540. PMID: 19075440.
[xi] Reddy KS, Biswas S, Sarangi S, Chaurasia A, Reddy MP, Jose AT, Kashwani R. Impact of smoking on dental implant: A review. Bioinformation. 2024 Dec 31;20(12):1750-1753. doi: 10.6026/9732063002001750. PMID: 40230954; PMCID: PMC11993366.
[xii] Iacob AM, Escobedo Martínez MF, Barbeito Castro E, Junquera Olay S, Olay García S, Junquera Gutiérrez LM. Effects of Vape Use on Oral Health: A Review of the Literature. Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Feb 21;60(3):365. doi: 10.3390/medicina60030365. PMID: 38541091; PMCID: PMC10972225.
[xiii] Iacob AM, Escobedo Martínez MF, Barbeito Castro E, Junquera Olay S, Olay García S, Junquera Gutiérrez LM. Effects of Vape Use on Oral Health: A Review of the Literature. Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Feb 21;60(3):365. doi: 10.3390/medicina60030365. PMID: 38541091; PMCID: PMC10972225.
[xiv] Reddy KS, Biswas S, Sarangi S, Chaurasia A, Reddy MP, Jose AT, Kashwani R. Impact of smoking on dental implant: A review. Bioinformation. 2024 Dec 31;20(12):1750-1753. doi: 10.6026/9732063002001750. PMID: 40230954; PMCID: PMC11993366.
[xv] Iacob AM, Escobedo Martínez MF, Barbeito Castro E, Junquera Olay S, Olay García S, Junquera Gutiérrez LM. Effects of Vape Use on Oral Health: A Review of the Literature. Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Feb 21;60(3):365. doi: 10.3390/medicina60030365. PMID: 38541091; PMCID: PMC10972225.
Disclaimer – Always consult your oral health professional for expert advice about your unique personal situation. The information given here is of a general nature and for the purpose of education only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your oral health specialist
