10.06.2025
Smoking hides what the gums are reporting
Bleeding gums are the first sign of inflammation. In smokers it often fails to appear. Nicotine narrows the small vessels in the gum; the inflammation continues, it simply does not announce itself. That is why periodontitis is often detected later in smokers – and is further advanced by then.
Smoking is regarded as the most significant modifiable risk factor for periodontitis. It also worsens the outcome of treatment: pockets close more slowly and the risk of the inflammation returning is higher. Around implants, too, the danger of inflammation is greater.
The good news: the effect is reversible. After stopping, the treatment outcome approaches that of non-smokers over the years. A conversation about it belongs to periodontal treatment – not as a reproach, but because it changes the prospects.
If you smoke and your gums do not bleed, that is not a clean bill of health. Have the pocket depths measured.