It is actually the leaf of the beet plant. It looks like smoking contributes to people actually losing their teeth. The results were based on a Swedish study of 273 people over 10 years. The combination of age, plaque buildup and smoking was the biggest predictor of tooth loss. It has been suggested that the link between smoking and osteoporosis may be the cause of the tooth loss.
Smoking keeps carbon dioxide from exiting the body in exhaled breath.
Because the carbon dioxide builds up, it leads to high levels of carbonic acid in the blood. The body tries to neutralize this acid by taking calcium from bones in the body. The first place it goes is to the jawbone. As this bone weakens and erodes, teeth become loose because they have lost their firm base. Another recent dental study has come up with the possibility that poor dental health could be a cause of coronary artery disease.