More women and young girls are smoking now, possibly due to the desire to try to control their weight. Few female smokers realize, however, that this addictive habit and the problems affiliated with it can be far worse for females than their male counterparts, according to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Early studies on the adverse effects of tobacco smoking focused primarily on males, so the effects of smoking on women's health are just now beginning to be realized.

Some women use smoking as a status symbol. Others use smoking as a form of stress relief, as they think it has a calming influence. Some also say that it gives them "I am important" self-assurance.

Many female smokers will find it more difficult to quit their habit due to addiction and fear of weight gain. This puts them at a higher risk of developing long-term health problems. These health risks, however, start declining immediately after the last cigarette is smoked.

Ninety percent of all adult smokers begin smoking before age 18, but female smokers are starting their habit at an earlier age. "The average age for a young girl to start smoking now is 14," says Robert Mecklenburg, DDS, MPH, dental coordinator, Smoking and Tobacco Control Program of the National Cancer Institute. "This could explain why lung cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer for women, exceeding breast cancer."

According to the "Monitoring the Future Study" from The University of Michigan, approximately 20 percent of female high-school students said they had smoked a cigarette within 30 days prior to the study. Statistics show that people tend to carry the smoking habits developed during their teens to adulthood.

Dentists are patients' first line of defense against the adverse effects of tobacco use and nicotine addiction stemming from cigars, cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Dentists routinely screen for oral cancer and can help patients with tobacco-cessation programs.