Once marijuana is legalized in Canada on Oct. 17, dentists donB次元官网网址檛 expect to see a significant increase in pot smokers in their chair, but they do want their patients to tell them if they smoke or eat the drug.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of patients are a little embarrassed. When you think about it, if you are nervous about dental work, it might be a time you consider using it and not telling your dentist,B次元官网网址� Allan Hovan of the BC Cancer Foundation said.

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B次元官网网址淚t is important to tell your dentist, especially if youB次元官网网址檙e having invasive procedures that involve either IV sedation of drugs or local anesthetic.B次元官网网址�

Last fall, Hovan wrote an article for the BC Dental Association about vaping and smoking marijuana. He found that while smoking marijuana is not as bad as smoking cigarettes, thereB次元官网网址檚 still cause for concern in the oral health field.

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B次元官网网址淟ike cigarette smoke, it has a harmful effect on tissues over time,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淧eople arenB次元官网网址檛 smoking 20 joints a day like they are with cigarettes, so the frequency of exposure, the time of exposure is dramatically less. But marijuana smoking, like cigarette smoking, over time, does lead to more dry mouth which can lead to more dental cavities, more gum disease, staining of teeth.B次元官网网址�

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For dentists, the main concern is when patients come to their offices high. Most people smoking pot will experience a calming effect, Hovan said, but for some, they can become agitated B次元官网网址� increasing their heart rate and causing them to bleed more during procedures. On the flip side, people who are relaxed after smoking marijuana might become too relaxed.

B次元官网网址淪edation effects can be exaggerated so that they achieve B次元官网网址� unintentionally B次元官网网址� a deeper state of sedation than the dentist or the patient wanted,B次元官网网址� Hovan said.

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He expects many patients will use edibles before a visit to the dentistB次元官网网址檚 because it canB次元官网网址檛 be smelled on their breath like smoke can. Edibles, while much less likely to cause cancer, are less predictable when the effect will start, and many patients donB次元官网网址檛 use the right dose, Hovan said.

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The other big question is how smoking marijuana may cause cancer.

B次元官网网址淒oes it put you at an increased risk for oral cancer? Yes, if you use it a lot. But certainly not edibles,B次元官网网址� Hovan said.

If youB次元官网网址檙e diagnosed with stage 3, stage 4 oral cancer, your likelihood of being alive in five years is less than 20 per cent. If you get oral cancer instead diagnosed at stage 1 or stage 2 before it starts to be treated, thereB次元官网网址檚 an 80-plus per cent chance that youB次元官网网址檒l still be alive in five years.

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Early detection, Hovan said, is vital, especially since oral cancer is most commonly found at the base of the tongue near the tonsils, where itB次元官网网址檚 harder to see. Symptoms people should watch out for include canker sores or cold sores that donB次元官网网址檛 go away after more than two weeks, nosebleeds, persistent sore throat or voice change.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 in your best interest about your recreational drug use as well as your smoking and drinking history,B次元官网网址� Hovan said.

@KeiliBartlett
keili.bartlett@blackpress.ca

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