Where Did The Great American Smokeout Start?
The Great American Smokeout is an event sponsored by the American Cancer Society (ACS) that takes place on November 17, 2011. It all started in Berkeley, California. In 1977 Berkeley became the first private facility to limit smoking in public areas. Tobacco smoke was socially accepted until recent decades. Just 20 years ago, people smoked on the clock at work, on airplanes, and even in hospitals. Things have changed for the better.
The Great American Smokeout is aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco and further limiting the acceptance of smoking in public areas.
The Smokeout is celebrated in many creative ways all over the United States. Participating smokers commit to quit for the 24-hour period on November 17th and then make goals to completely quit in the future.
Tobacco’s Effect On Your Mouth
All forms of tobacco have the potential to cause cancer and gum disease. If left untreated, gum disease develops into periodontitis, which is the primary cause of adult tooth loss in the US. Periodontitis is an advanced form of gingivitis. Both gingivitis and periodontitis can be prevented if spotted early. The best way to prevent these diseases, whether you smoke or not, is to visit Grinnell Street Dental for regular checkups. We can find these diseases in their early stages and help you take care of the problem.
Your smile is not the only thing that suffers when you loose a tooth. Side effects of tooth loss include difficulty speaking, dietary restrictions, jawbone degeneration, and risk of further tooth loss.
We offer several treatment options right here in Sheridan to replace missing teeth:
- Bridges
- Partial Dentures
- Dental Implants
- Implant Dentures
How to Get Tobacco Off Your Mind
You hear about people quitting “cold-turkey,” but that doesn’t happen successfully very often. Quitting tobacco is something that you have to really want to achieve. The American Cancer Society (ACS) put together a list of benefits to quitting tobacco that may provide you with sufficient motivation to quit. This list runs through a timetable that outlines the benefits, starting just 20 minutes after quitting and lasting up to 15 years. The final benefit after 15 years of putting down your last cigarette is your risk of coronary heart disease is back to the same as that of a non-smoker.
The ACS also designed a nifty quiz that assesses your level of addiction. The quiz will help identify strategic methods to quit, best suited for your habit. The quiz may also help you understand the magnitude of your addiction.
If none of those options motivate you, maybe the money will. The ACS created a cigarette calculator to help you see the amount of money you dedicate to your habit. This allows you to look at the costs of quitting as a proposal to saving money. When you stop smoking, you can look at that number as fun money, or money you might be able to spend more effectively.
If tobacco has taken a toll on your mouth, talk with a dentist at Grinnell Street Dental. Call 307-672-7567 today to schedule a checkup.
