Smoking has many effects on human health and a lot of that is in the mouth.

Smoking can lead to unsightly staining on the teeth, be a cause of gum disease, tooth loss and oral cancer.

The majority of mouth cancer cases continue to be as a result of smoking and tobacco use. Around 1in 5 people in the UK currently smoke, which accounts for 2 in every 3 mouth cancer cases.

There are thousands of chemicals contained in a single cigarette, and their point of entry is the mouth. Smoking helps to transform saliva into a deadly cocktail that damages cells in the mouth and can turn them cancerous.

Research has shown that ex-smokers reduce their risk of mouth cancer by more than a third. and with around two-thirds of smokers wanting to give up the NHS has a great website helping people to do just that.

visit www.nhs.uk/smokefree