question to those who have snus'd for awhile

[sth]

I've been looking into this but can't seem to get a straight answer.. Has anyone developed any physical symptoms due to their snusing? For instance, I know that with dip which my friends have used, they get recessed gums and those gross white sore-like things in their lip. Has this happened to anyone here from using only snus? The gothiatek website seems to contradict itself on this question, because it says that the changes to the oral mucosa are reversible, but then later says they are irreversible:

The use of Swedish Snus can cause a reversible inflammation of the oral mucosa (gingivitis) in some Snus users. This change will occur where the Snus is placed in the mouth. Gingival retraction is more common in users of loose Snus than in users of pouch Snus. This change of the oral mucosa is not reversible, i.e. it will not disappear when the use of Snus is discontinued. The use of Snus may cause benign changes of the oral mucosa (Snus lesions) and will appear at the same location of the oral mucosa as the Snus is usually placed.

Can anyone shed some light on this? because as it is now, I find snus to be much better in every way than smoking, which I used to do almost constantly. But this confuses me and I'd love to get it sorted. Maybe I'm reading it wrong, or something ops:

[luckysealy]

i believe they are talking about two separate issues. gingivitis is reversible, gingi whatever retraction is not. so one problem will reverse the other won't.

[sth]

Ohh, Oh I see. Yeah, turns out I just really suck at reading.

[deebocools]

snus can cause recessed gums. it can also cause sores. It does so on a less regular basis than american dip, but it would be foolish to say it never does.

It varies greatly from person to person, and I'm dreading the say that the one american who is for some reason really sensitive to it develops mouth cancer, loses his jaw and causes an uproar.

[Ainkor]

snus can cause recessed gums. it can also cause sores. It does so on a less regular basis than american dip, but it would be foolish to say it never does.

It varies greatly from person to person, and I'm dreading the say that the one american who is for some reason really sensitive to it develops mouth cancer, loses his jaw and causes an uproar.

I guess what sucks about it all is that I bet if you stuck a lemon in your mouth for 12 hours a day for 5 years you would have some adverse effect.

The reality is, based on many studies, is that snus while not good for you in a sense, it is not overly harmful. You will read how they say that oral cancer and pancreatic cancer rates with snus use are double the general population, it is a bit misleading.

If 5 out of 1000 die from oral cancer and they didn't smoke or use oral tobacco, but 10 out of 1000 died from oral cancer who did use oral tobacco, the fanatics say then it causes a 100% increase in oral cancer rates.

While numerically true, it is a scare tactic.

Thousands of people die during masturbation every year, yet most folks masturbate.

Go figure.

Feel safe master..... errr snusing!

-Ainkor

[TropicalBob]

I got a shock today when I really checked my gums and teeth prior to needing a front bridge. Gums and teeth are awful. Just awful. The gums have been receding faster than 60-year-old's hairline. I just didn't notice until today.

I've been snusing portions almost two years, and the current four tins I have are likely the last I'll ever use. Common sense alone says there will be consequences from resting tobacco against any body surface for many hours every day. I'd probably get receding toenails if I stuck a pouch there ever day.

It's been fun. I enjoy snus. But I'm really stunned at what has been happening to my mouth.

[justintempler]

OTOH,

People who have never smoked or used oral tobacco have receding gums too. Get your yearly checkups and make your decision from there.

[TropicalBob]

It's always difficult to pinpoint an exact cause of a health problem. I smoked about 30 cigs a day for 50 years, then quit, using snus, then added e-cigs. I also still puff a pipe and use both Stonewall and Oliver Twist. So what's to blame?

The blunt truth is that I did NOT have any gum recession prior to snus. A dentist looked at my dental x-rays three years ago and said I inherited some of the "longest roots" he'd ever seen. Yep, no one in my family has ever lost a tooth. An 84-year-old cousin has never had even one cavity.

No. It's not smoking. Not e-cigs. It's keeping tobacco pressed against my gums many hours every day. I'm not at all happy with that conclusion and dread leaving snus. I used a gift certificate yesterday to buy what will likely be my final four tins. I say "likely" because I might be too weak to quit.

You know the old expression, "long in the tooth." That's me. With my roots, I likely won't lose teeth -- but my smile will be so awful I'll keep my mouth shut in depression. Not a good thing for me, even if those around me appreciate the new silence.

[deebocools]

thanks for being so candid. I understand this is a "snus on" not "snus off" forum, but It's important to me to maintain a grip on reality. I too have surprising gum recession after having none before.

To let my mouth heal, right now I'm on pretty serious amounts of nasal snuff. I have a snus order coming, and I still need a snus every now and again(last few days has been 2-3 portions instead of 6-9). After the snus is gone, though, I might also make the decision to leave snus, with much sadness.

anyone who experiences no dental problems, enjoy. but we can't make ultimate statements like "doesn't cause gum recession", it causes a false sense of security.

[KarlvB]

TropicalBob, sorry to hear about the recession.

However, I wouldn't be too quick to blame the snus, although I wouldn't rule it out either - as you say you do use it for most of the day.

I also have very slight recession and my dentist (who is Swedish and uses snus heavily) said that he doesn't believe the snus caused it. Rather it was the fact that I was brushing far too hard (probably to compensate for using oral tobacco). Since then I've switched to a Sonicare toothbrush and the recession hasn't gotten any worse.

Age and over aggressive brushing remains the number one cause of gum recession according to him. Maybe your dentists can give you some indication of what they think caused it (Personally, I'd neglect to mention that I use snus to make sure there aren't any preconceptions attached.)

Good luck .....

[KarlvB]

anyone who experiences no dental problems, enjoy. but we can't make ultimate statements like "doesn't cause gum recession", it causes a false sense of security.

Agreed completely

[TropicalBob]

Thanks Karl. I have been almost fearful of asking my (U.S.) dentist about using snus. He might fall into the "no tobacco of any kind" group. That won't work for me. I took up snus for harm reduction in the face of nicotine addiction. I found I enjoyed snus and loved experimenting with different brands and flavors. So I set a quit cigs date, quit and have been enjoying snus since.

Today I vowed to cut back some.

I failed within a few hours. Needed my snus. So now I'm just depressed, with a General white portion resting against a long tooth.

P.S. I was a hard brusher, using a tooth brush with hard bristles. No longer. Nice soft brushing now.

[lxskllr]

Recession has been a concern of mine, and I have gotten some mild recession. I'm sticking by my assertion that gum recession is better than lung recession. It might not be the greatest thing in the world, but it won't kill you. I believe it can also be repaired, but that takes a good amount of money and pain...

[holnrew]

How about lower lipping, or sticking the portion in your cheek?

I'm thinking about quitting snus maybe a year from now, depending on my mental health. Fact ist, no matter how much better it is for you than smoking, it is still harmful.

There have been loads of studies on cigarettes, but niche products like snus and snuff need a lot more research.

[lxskllr]

How about lower lipping, or sticking the portion in your cheek?

I'm not sure that would help much. Maybe give you more areas to move it to... It'll still be in contact with your gums just about any place in your mouth.