Tips to Quit Smoking

Quitting is not an easy task but it has many beneficial effects to your teeth, not just your body. Most people find they can, and do, succeed after several repeated attempts and often using several different ways.

Some tips include:

• Use of nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) to decrease nicotine withdrawal symptoms; using a combination of both patches and gums show better success rates than use of any one formulation alone, but patients may need to trial a few to see which suits their taste buds better
• Decreasing gradually the number of cigarettes smoked each day
• Identifying smoking triggers such as emotions or habits associated with smoking, and making a plan to overcome those triggers
• Stopping smoking all at once; however these smokers tend to relapse more than those who opt to use NRT
• Medications can be prescribed by your to GP to assist in quitting

A soon as you stop smoking your body and oral cavity begins to repair itself; the first step is to decide when you are ready. Letting your friendly dentist know can help as they can point you in the right direction for the right advice and support for the journey to quit.

– Dr Kim Nguyen

Next week: Merry Christmas from Seymour Dental