Periodontal disease is a condition which will be frequently encountered by a dental practitioner in the clinical environment. One of the major risk factors in the development of periodontal disease is smoking. Smoking has numerous adverse health effects, and has been shown to be a risk factor in the development of many oral lesions and cancers. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor in the development of periodontal disease, and also affects the patients response to treatment.
Periodontal disease affects around 25-30% of adults over the age of 30 in New Zealand (NZ Society of Periodontology). Periodontal disease is the result of an inflammatory response to plaque and calculus buildups below the gingival margin. The inflammatory response destroys …show more content…
The study found that the frequency of daily cigarette smokers was more than doubled when compared to the larger population (Preber and Bergstrom, 2007). Factors such as pocket depth were similar between smoking and non-smoking patients with periodontitis, but the symptoms of gingivitis (gingival bleeding, inflammation) were less prominent amongst smokers – 25% of smokers in the study reported gingival bleeding, compared to 51% of non-smokers (Preber and Bergstrom, 2007). This suggests that the symptoms of gingival inflammation are suppressed in regular smokers – which would hamper diagnosis and detection of periodontal disease at an early …show more content…
Nicotine acts as a vasoconstrictor, and is often found in high concentrations in the gingival tissues of smokers – reducing blood flow and impairing immune cell function. An article published by Malhotra et al. reviewed the results of many studies investigating the link between nicotine and periodontal disease (Malhotra et al, 2010). A common finding in the studies quoted was the negative impact nicotine had on the rate of bone healing (Hollinger et al, 1999). Nicotine was also shown to impair revascularisation during wound healing – leading to an increased rate of periodontal disease progression in smokers. Many studies also looked at the effects of smoking cessation; results showed that the rate of disease progression slowed following smoking cessation, with former smokers responding to treatment in a similar manner to non-smokers (Grossi et al,
Periodontal disease affects around 25-30% of adults over the age of 30 in New Zealand (NZ Society of Periodontology). Periodontal disease is the result of an inflammatory response to plaque and calculus buildups below the gingival margin. The inflammatory response destroys …show more content…
The study found that the frequency of daily cigarette smokers was more than doubled when compared to the larger population (Preber and Bergstrom, 2007). Factors such as pocket depth were similar between smoking and non-smoking patients with periodontitis, but the symptoms of gingivitis (gingival bleeding, inflammation) were less prominent amongst smokers – 25% of smokers in the study reported gingival bleeding, compared to 51% of non-smokers (Preber and Bergstrom, 2007). This suggests that the symptoms of gingival inflammation are suppressed in regular smokers – which would hamper diagnosis and detection of periodontal disease at an early …show more content…
Nicotine acts as a vasoconstrictor, and is often found in high concentrations in the gingival tissues of smokers – reducing blood flow and impairing immune cell function. An article published by Malhotra et al. reviewed the results of many studies investigating the link between nicotine and periodontal disease (Malhotra et al, 2010). A common finding in the studies quoted was the negative impact nicotine had on the rate of bone healing (Hollinger et al, 1999). Nicotine was also shown to impair revascularisation during wound healing – leading to an increased rate of periodontal disease progression in smokers. Many studies also looked at the effects of smoking cessation; results showed that the rate of disease progression slowed following smoking cessation, with former smokers responding to treatment in a similar manner to non-smokers (Grossi et al,