Teeth Hold Secrets About Your Smoking Past
A new scientific study has uncovered how smoking leaves long-lasting damage on our teeth damage that remains even after quitting. These findings offer valuable insights not only for health professionals but also for archaeologists and forensic investigators.
What Did the Study Find?
Researchers at Northumbria University in the UK discovered that smoking disrupts the natural growth pattern of a part of the tooth called cementum. Cementum is a hard tissue that covers the roots of our teeth and, like tree rings, it adds new layers each year as we age.
When scientists closely examined 88 teeth some from living individuals undergoing dental extraction and others from historical remains they noticed a clear pattern. Teeth from people who currently smoke or used to smoke showed disrupted cementum rings far more often than those of non-smokers.
Smoking Leaves Lasting Traces on Teeth
The study revealed:
- 70% of ex-smokers had visible signs of damage in their tooth cementum.
- 33% of current smokers showed these changes.
- Only 3% of non-smokers displayed any disruption.
This suggests that even after quitting, smoking can leave a “fingerprint” in your dental tissues that lasts for years possibly for life.
How Does This Happen?
Normally, cementum builds up in smooth, regular layers. However, smoking seems to interrupt this process. The researchers believe that once a person quits smoking, cementum growth may return to normal, but the new, healthier layers pile on top of the damaged ones making the cementum appear thicker in former smokers.
On the other hand, current smokers continue to experience ongoing damage, which prevents their cementum from forming normally.
Insights from the Past
Interestingly, 18 of the teeth examined came from archaeological sites dating back to the late 1700s and 1800s. Many of these ancient teeth showed not only staining but also wear patterns and notches from pipe smoking. When scientists analyzed their cementum layers, they found the same types of disruption as seen in today’s smokers and ex-smokers.
This highlights how cementum analysis could become a powerful tool in learning about past lifestyles, helping researchers understand tobacco use and its health effects over centuries.
Our research shows it's possible to tell if someone was a smoker just by looking at their teeth. We found that the regular, yearly growth rings in cementum were disrupted in smokers and ex-smokers, but rarely in non-smokers. That tells us smoking has a lasting biological impact, visible even long after the habit is gone.
Real-World Applications
- Forensic science: Cementum rings can help estimate how old someone was at the time of death or when the tooth was removed useful for identifying unknown remains in mass graves or disaster zones.
- Archaeological research: These dental patterns can reveal how smoking habits shaped communities over time and provide clues about cultural practices in the past.
Conclusion
This study shines a light on how something as simple as a tooth can tell a complex story about a person’s health, habits, and history. While quitting smoking is always a step toward better health, this research reminds us that the effects may still linger right down to the roots of our teeth.
Smoking doesn’t just harm your lungs or heart it leaves permanent traces in your teeth, offering valuable clues for medicine, science, and history alike.
Source: Inputs from various media Sources
Priya Bairagi
Reviewed by Dr Aarti Nehra (MBBS, MMST)
I’m a pharmacist with a strong background in health sciences. I hold a BSc from Delhi University and a pharmacy degree from PDM University. I write articles and daily health news while interviewing doctors to bring you the latest insights. In my free time, you’ll find me at the gym or lost in a sci-fi novel.
