Smoking cessation advice from your oral health professionals.
Beat those cravings and kick the habit once and for all with the help of team Dental House.
January is smoking cessation month at Dental House and as oral health educators, our clinicians can give you the tools to make the change.
One major withdrawal symptom that you should expect to feel is the strong craving to smoke. You know what it’s like to have a cigarette craving that you aren’t permitted to satisfy. Remember the last time you were in a place where smoking isn’t permitted.
The source of the craving could be physical (your body is screaming at you that it needs nicotine) or psychological (you absolutely must have thestress relief) or a combination of both.
The 4 D’s listed below can help you deal with cigarette cravings.
REMEMBER: both the frequency and intensity of your cravings will decrease as the duration since your last cigarette increases.
What follows is a round up of our 4 top tips to deal with your nicotine withdrawals:
Deep Breaths
Breathe in and out slowly, as though you were smoking a cigarette. Inhale deeply, hold it for a couple seconds, and then release slowly. This will help you relax and make the craving dissipate.
Drink Water
Drink lots of water all day long, particularly during a craving. This helps to flush the toxins out of your system, and will help keep your hands and mouth busy if that’s something you miss from smoking.
Distract
Distract yourself by getting up and getting active. Go for a walk or go out and meet friends. Clear out your wardrobe. Do the vacuuming. Read a book. Call up a friend. Many smokers have said that when they get an urge to smoke and then make the effort to change their surrounding environment, they do get distracted and forget that they wanted to smoke in the first place. Basically, replace the craving with something else.
Delay
Most smokers assume that each craving lasts a long time — maybe 45 minutes or so. Next time a craving hits, time yourself to learn the truth. Cravings come and go quickly. The average craving actually only lasts about 5 to 10 minutes. No matter how strong the craving is, convince yourself that you can wait 10 minutes. To help those 10 minutes go by, practice the other D’s.
If you are concerned about your oral health or simply feel it’s time to schedule a long-overdue check-up, schedule an appointment with us today:
Phone: 01-5378045
Lo-Call: 1890223344
Email: hello@dentalhouse.ie
Follow us on Facebook /dentalhousesmile
Visit our website here
Leave A Comment