Spit Tobacco
Spit tobacco affects your dental health as well as the rest of your body. If
you use smokeless tobacco and have thought about quitting, your dentist can
help. In the meantime, here are a few facts that may help you decide to join
the 200 million Americans who are tobacco-free. What is spit
tobacco?
Spit tobacco includes snuff, a finely ground version of processed tobacco, and
chewing tobacco in the form of shredded or pressed bricks and cakes, called
plugs, or rope-like strands called twists. Users "pinch" or
"dip" tobacco and place a wad in their cheek or between their lower
lip and gums. In the United Kingdom, users often snort snuff.
Isn't it safer than smoking?
Absolutely not. Some wrongly believe that spit tobacco is safer than smoking
cigarettes. But spit tobacco is more addictive because it contains higher
levels of addictive nicotine than cigarettes and can be harder to quit than
cigarettes. One can of snuff delivers as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes.
About 8,000 people die every year from tobacco use. About 70 percent of
those deaths are from oral cancer. Other cancers caused by tobacco include
cancer of the pancreas, nasal cavity, urinary tract, esophagus, pharynx,
larynx, intestines and the stomach. Kids who use spit tobacco products are 4 to
6 times more likely to develop oral cancer than non-users and tobacco
juice-related cancers can form within five year of regular use. Among high
school seniors who have ever used spit tobacco, almost three- fourths began by
the ninth grade.
How does snuff and chewing tobacco harm my dental health?
It causes bad breath, discolors teeth and promotes tooth decay that leads to
tooth loss. Spit tobacco users have a decreased sense of smell and taste, and
they are at greater risk of developing cavities. The grit in snuff eats away at
gums, exposing tooth roots which are sensitive to hot and cold temperatures and
can be painful. Sugar in spit tobacco causes decay. Spit tobacco users also
have a hard time getting their teeth clean.
What about mouth sores?
The most common sign of possible cancer in smokeless tobacco users is
leukoplakia, (loo-ko-play-key-ah) a white scaly patch or lesion inside the
mouth or lips, common among many spit tobacco users. Red sores are also a
warning sign of cancer. Often, signs of precancerous lesions are undetectable.
Dentists can diagnose and treat such cases before the condition develops into
oral cancer. If a white or red sore appears and doesn't heal, see your dentist
immediately for a test to see if it's precancerous. Spit tobacco users also
should see their dentist every three months, to make sure a problem doesn't
develop. Studies have found that 60 to 78 percent of spit tobacco users have
oral lesions.
What are double dippers?
Double dippers, who mix snuff and chewing tobacco, are more likely to develop
precancerous lesions than those who use only one type of spit tobacco.
Long-term snuff users have a 50 percent greater risk of developing oral cancer
than non-users, and spit tobacco users are more likely to become cigarette
smokers.
How do you kick the habit?
Your dentist can help you kick your spit tobacco habit. In addition to cleaning
teeth and treating bad breath and puffy, swollen gums associated with tobacco
use, your dentist may prescribe a variety of nicotine replacement therapies,
such as the transdermal nicotine patch or chewing gum that helps to wean
addicted snuff dippers or tobacco chewers.
Nicotine patches are worn for 24 hours over several weeks, supplying a
steady flow of nicotine. The four brands of patches are Habitrol, Nicoderm,
Nicotrol and Prostep. Over the course of treatment the amount of nicotine in
the patch decreases. The nicotine patch has a 25 percent success rate. Or you
may try nicotine gum therapy on your quit day. One piece of gum is slowly
chewed every 1-2 hours. Each piece should be discarded after 20-30 minutes.
Make goals
Make the following goals to quit and never resume chewing or dipping:
- Pick a date and taper use as the date nears. Instead of using spit
tobacco, carry substitutes like gum, hard candy and sunflower seeds.
- Cut back on when and where you dip and chew. Let friends and family know
that you're quitting and solicit their support. If they dip and chew, ask them
not to do it around you.
- Make a list of three situations you're most likely to dip and chew, and
make every effort to avoid using tobacco at those times.
- Switch to a lower nicotine brand to help cut down your dose.
Sources:
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Oral Health America, Beat the Smokeless
Habit: Game Plan for Success, National Institutes of Health and National
Cancer Institute, June 1993;
Health Implications of Smokeless Tobacco Use; National Institutes of
Health Consensus Development Conference Statement, 1986;
Smokeless Tobacco; Think Before You Chew, American Dental Association,
1990;
The Human Cost of Tobacco Use by Carl Bartecchi, M.D. et al., The New
England Journal of Medicine, March 31, 1994;
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, March 25, 1994;
Nicotine Patch Success Rate Set at Only 25%, by Jon Van, Chicago
Tribune, February 24, 1994;
Surveying Smokeless Tobacco Use, Oral Lesions and Cessation Among School
Boys, by Virginia Daughety, M.S., et. al., Journal of the American Dental
Association, February 1994; pp 173-180.
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