Bad news for all you 4:20 enthusiasts: a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association says that heavy marijuana smokers have up to three times the risk of developing periodontal (gum) disease as non-potheads.
After adjusting the data to account for tobacco use, gender and a lack of dental care, the researchers found that those in the high-use group had a 60 percent increased risk of early periodontal disease, a 3.1 times greater risk of more advanced gum disease, and a 2.2 times increased risk of losing a tooth due to gum disease, compared to those who didn’t use marijuana.
“We think that it is the same as with tobacco smoke: That is, the effect is not directly on the gums as smoke is inhaled. Instead, it acts through toxins being absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs and then affecting the body’s ability to heal itself after bursts of destructive inflammation in the gums,” [lead author W. Murray] Thomson said.
And periodontal disease is no joke—it’s been shown to have strong links to mouth cancer and pancreatic cancer.
In short, and in shameless cliché, the best line of defense is a good offense: don’t smoke tobacco or marijuana, and keep up with your dental hygiene.
Tags: gum disease, marijuana, mouth cancer, pancreatic cancer, periodontal disease, tobacco
June 29, 2008 at 4:48 pm |
I use to smoke marijuana, am i still at higher risk for peridontal disease even though i have good dental hygiene, and have been weed free for over 6 months?
September 17, 2008 at 11:54 am |
Ok,
That wont make any one stop smoking marijuana. The reason why many smoke that herb is because they do not care, and a few others smoke because they have glocoma, weed IS perscribed by the Doctor, until I hear other wise than I WILL KEEP ON smoking weed, I have glocoma, And ofcourse you being the person who found this out about weed knows the efects of this matter. Marijuana or Weed has helped with my littel problem.
But ofcourse if you find another cure for glocoma then i will gladly put down the blunt and try your methods, untill then i will, how do u put it, keep being a “4:20, pot head”
Thank you for caring
Julian Savage
and if you would like to reply my yahoo acount is
juliansavage2@yahoo.com
and my myspace is also juliansavage2@yahoo.com screen name julian savage
feel free to teel me other wise
and remember I may be young in years but i,m as smart and educated as any of you have a nice day
October 16, 2008 at 12:17 pm |
Julian you can’t even properly spell glaucoma.
February 4, 2009 at 2:21 pm |
my teeth are healthy though my mothers are rotten
May 1, 2009 at 1:37 pm |
can smoking marijuana cause hairy tongue like cigarettes?
May 1, 2009 at 1:52 pm |
Hi all,
I’ve gotten more responses on this post than any other (and more than I expected), and I thought I’d publicly respond to a couple of the comments and questions I’ve received.
First of all, to Julian — I emailed this to you several months ago but never heard back. Hope this clears some things up:
“Hi Julian!
Thanks for reading. I don’t blog anymore, but it’s nice to know that people are still interested.
As you say, there are many reasons to smoke marijuana, and I’m absolutely not judging anyone who does (no matter what the reason). I hope using the drug is helping with your glaucoma — I understand it can be very effective in treating the symptoms.
If you’ll read it more closely, you’ll note that I didn’t criticize anyone for using the drug (and my use of the words “4:20″ and “pothead” were of course in jest!) — the post was simply looking into new scientific research about potential negative effects that can come from smoking marijuana. You’re obviously someone who is concerned about health, and I’m sure you know it’s important to know the ins and outs of any treatment
Thanks again,
Anna”
To Kris: I’m not a medical professional, so I can’t say for sure whether a significant enough amount of damage was done while you were a marijuana-smoker to put you at a higher risk of periodontal disease. However, I’d think that if you continue refraining from use, as well as keeping up your nutrition and dental health, you shouldn’t have much to worry about. Just make sure you visit your dentist for regular cleanings and checkups.
Finally, Lulu: Until you brought it up, I was not familiar with “hairy tongue” – it sounds scary! I know marijuana can cause some of the same dry mouth feel as cigarettes, though. Anything that causes drying or dehydration can increase your chances of bacteria and yeast growing in your mouth. The best thing you can do is stay hydrated, avoid smoking, and keep up good dental habits with a non-abrasive toothpaste and toothbrush, a gentle tongue scraper, and a non-alcoholic mouth rinse.