The more cigarettes you smoke, the higher your risk for gum disease. So even if you aren’t ready to quit, cutting back can help the health of your gums. It’s also important to know that, in the unfortunate event that you do develop gum disease, treatments do not always work as effectively for people who smoke. Also, it’s not only cigarettes that affect your gum health in these ways—it is tobacco in any form, whether that’s cigarettes, pipes, smokeless tobacco or dip.