This five-part article series provides smokers and tobacco users with 13 tips for kicking the habit permanently through social, psychological and physical assistance.
Mark Twain was famously quoted as having said: "Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times."
It’s true for smokers all over Orange County, the United States and in fact the world: putting down that box of cigarettes and making the public announcement that you intend to quit is the easy part. It’s the days and weeks and months that follow that make this essential step towards better general and oral health extremely difficult and a challenge that the vast majority of smokers fail to overcome. And yet, quitting smoking is absolutely fundamental if you are to enjoy full health and a long life.
Dental implant surgeons may not seem like the obvious choice for Orange County residents to turn to for smoking cessation advice. But, when you consider that they are trained doctors and that they routinely repair the damage done by smoking, it’s understandable why these medical healthcare professionals might have some very useful advice under their sleeves.
And so, we shall be exploring the top 13 tips these highly qualified Orange County dentists have for those who are preparing to embark upon a journey to better health by kicking the habit! Let’s begin…
Quit Smoking Tip # 1: Define Your Reasons for Quitting
If it were easy to quit, most people would forever relinquish the habit for the reason that it could potentially kill you. Unfortunately, it’s not easy and you need to become better acquainted with the precise reasons you want to quit smoking so that you can recite these as a mantra to yourself when you’re in the clutches of withdrawal.
“Write down the short, medium and long-term reasons you want to quit smoking and put these reasons up somewhere you can see them regularly,” advises a dental implant surgeon in Orange County. “Better health in the long term is a good reason, but it doesn’t have the same kind of urgency that other short term goals have, such as healthier teeth, more energy and less harm to your children, for example.”
So, think long and hard about the things you want the most from quitting smoking. Find that one powerful reason that will help to guide you through the withdrawals and sustain your efforts. Your reason could be any one of the following:
• I no longer want to expose my children to my second hand smoke.
• I want to protect my teeth and my smile.
• I want to be able to breathe properly without wheezing or coughing.
• I don’t want to smell like an ashtray anymore. It’s making me feel self-conscious around other people.
• I want to stop spending money on cigarettes.
Quit Smoking Tip # 2: Don’t Suddenly Stop
For the vast majority of smokers, going cold turkey only ever ends up in failure. You’ve got to secure some kind of therapeutic or even medical assistance to aid you in your journey to better health or you may very well end up relapsing. This is especially the case for dedicated, box-or-more-a-day smokers.
“You may think you have the mental strength to endure the psychological withdrawals, but nicotine is physically addictive and your brain will be sending you craving signals that you might not be able to resist,” warns an Orange County dentist. “It’s best to establish a series of goals over a course of weeks or months that will lessen your exposure to nicotine. Cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke per day every week or month and be strict about your new limits. Once you’ve cut down considerably, you can then try and quit altogether.”
But, before you do… you have to ensure that you have the right support in place and to find out more about this, stay tuned for Part 2, coming next week!
Stay Tuned for Part 2
To read more tips and advice from Orange County dental implant surgeons on how to quit smoking, stay tuned for the second installment of this five-part article series.
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