Question

[Turtlez]

I've heard that a dentist can tell if you smoke cigarettes, but can a dentist tell if you smoke weed?

Turtlez Reviewed by Turtlez on 06-09-2007. Question I've heard that a dentist can tell if you smoke cigarettes, but can a dentist tell if you smoke weed? Rating: 5

[birdgirl73]

If you smoke a good bit of it, yes. Everyone thinks dentists and doctors can tell by the stains on your teeth, and indeed, that can be a hint. But lots of things can cause tooth discoloration, like coffee and dark soft drinks. What's the real giveaway is how your gums and oral tissues look. For one thing, in people who smoke, whether it's cannabis or cigs, the oral cavity is drier; there's less saliva production. The gums don't have quite the same coloring as they would in a non-smoker, and there's often more gingivitis. And smokers of cannabis have more areas of leukoedema that result from irritation. Leukoedema is a sort of grayish discoloration of the lining of the oral mucosa (the surface tissues inside the mouth). Cannabis smokers also get more oral ulcers and other problems with the mucosal lining.

I'm going to move this thread into our health-related sub-forum.