New Study Makes Connection Between Smoking, Teeth
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: A connection between secondhand smoking and your children's teeth? The answer is yes, according to a new study explained for us by CNN's medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen. I was kind of surprised about this. I have to admit that I knew nothing about it.</s>ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It is surprising.</s>COLLINS: I mean, I don't smoke, but still.</s>COHEN: Right. Bad for your lungs, we all know that, but it is a surprise that it's bad for your teeth. The researchers looked at children ages 4 to 11, and those that were exposed to secondhand smoke were twice as likely to have cavities in their baby teeth, and if that's not reason enough to give up smoking if you have small children, here are a few more. Kids who are exposed to smoke are also more likely to get a whole host of diseases, including bronchitis, sudden infant death syndrome, ear infections, asthma, cancer, and learning problems. Now, tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease. It costs the country $4.5 billion a year.</s>COLLINS: That's an awful lot. Now, I'm wondering how this actually works. I mean, how does the cavity build up just from smoke?</s>COHEN: Right. It -- they're not exactly sure, but what they think is that the nicotine gets into the teeth and gets into the gums and promotes the growth of bacteria. Bacteria thrive in the presence of nicotine, and the child's immune system suffers in the presence of nicotine. So that is basically what happens.</s>COLLINS: Some people will probably say, Well, they're just baby teeth. I mean, they're going to fall out.</s>COHEN: And that's true, they will fall out. However, what happens is that when baby teeth decay, when they get cavities, that can be a problem for the gums. That can make the gums suffer. It can also lead to eating problems. It can also lead to speech problems. So cavities and baby teeth really are a problem.</s>COLLINS: Don't smoke around your kids.</s>COHEN: There you go. Bottom line, don't smoke around your kids.</s>COLLINS: CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. Thank you so much.