It’s a well known fact that smoking is injurious for health, most importantly for your mouth, teeth and gums. And it is not only cancer that you have to think of. Smoking is the cause of many oral problems such as mouth sores, gum disease and tooth decay. That is why it is imperative for everyone to quit smoking.

Yes, it is hard and most of the time impossible to just quit smoking. But, “if there is a will there is always a way”... that is why the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research came up with few things that you can do to help you quit smoking today and they are as follows:

  • Make up your mind to quit smoking. Develop a mental attitude that says you are ready, you are willing to quit, you are ready to do anything to quit, and most of all, you really really really want to quit.
  • The best way to convince yourself 100% of this fact is to write the reasons why you want to quit. Whether it is a  health reason, hygiene reason, protection of your near and dears or for self improvement, it doesn’t matter what as long as this list will be able to motivate you to quit.
  • Set a target date for  quitting . Don’t rush yourself and make this day today. You can choose to quit tomorrow or next week or at most next month. Make it an important day, something for which you have to prepare for. And while you are waiting for the arrival of this big day, cut your nicotine intake. If you smoke one pack a day, aim to reduce it until you only smoke one cigarette in a day.
  • Remember, be sure not to stress yourself out for this quitting date.
  • Don’t be alone on this. You will need to support yourself with people who support you on this decision.  These people can be your significant other, family or friends. And if you know someone wants to quit smoking, you can quit with him or her too. Your dentist can also help you with this decision.
  • Substitute is a good idea. If you find yourself craving for a cigarette you can substitute it for something else, like nuts or grams. Go and ask your dentist or doctor about patches and nicotine gums to help ease the process of quitting smoking.
  • If you feel you want to smoke, call a friend, do some exercise or deep breath and wait till the craving goes off. In this way you can divert  your mind from smoking.
  • Make sure you do not substitute food for a cigarette. Try to avoid fatty and junk  foods, if you have to, then choose healthy options.
  • Know your triggering factor. You have to discover what triggers you most to smoke. Find the patterns when and how you smoke so that you can prevent yourself from doing it.
  •  Develop a reward system for yourself. When you have already stopped smoking, you can pat yourself on the shoulder and treat yourself for the job well done.
  •  Stay active and create a new habit or change your daily routine. Exercise will do miracles for you.
  • Take notice and enjoy the benefits you experience from not smoking like the cleanliness of your clothes, freshness of your room, the freshness of your breath and of course, the savings you add up to your account.
  •  And finally, you have to maintain proper oral hygiene with brushing and flossing, and regular dental visits with your dentist.

Schedule an appointment with your dentist to get your teeth cleaned professionally to remove all the stains that have built up from smoking. If desired, you can even get a teeth whitening done to have that beautiful million dollar white smile.