A community study of periodontal attachment loss in smokers

• Published in: International dental journal Vol. 58; no. 5; pp. 243 - 246
• Main Authors: Ng, Sam K S, Leung, W Keung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2008; FDI World Dental Press
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Dentistry; Hong Kong; Humans; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Periodontal attachment loss; Periodontal Attachment Loss - etiology; periodontal diseases; Pilot Projects; smoking; Smoking - adverse effects; Surveys and Questionnaires; tobacco; Tobacco, tobacco smoking; Toxicology; Hong Kong; Periodontal disease; Tobacco; Periodontal attachment loss; Stomatology; Smoker; Tobacco smoking; smoking; Dentistry; periodontal diseases; Community
• ISSN: 0020-6539; 1875-595X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1875-595X.2008.tb00195.x

Objective: This study compared per‐sextant periodontal attachment levels of smokers and non‐smokers attending private dental practices. Method: One thousand adults (51.5% female) aged 25 to 64 years underwent an oral clinical examination and questionnaire survey covering demographic characteristics, personal traits, coping and history of tobacco consumption. Medical history was also recorded. Results: Of the subjects, 9.0% had a healthy periodontal status, whereas 52.5%, 23.3%, 10.1% and 5.1% showed low, moderate, high and severe attachment loss, respectively. Most participants (86.0%) were never‐smokers, and 1.1%, 3.9%, 3.5% and 5.5% were very light, light, moderate and heavy smokers, respectively. Corresponding full‐mouth mean clinical attachment levels (CALs) were 2.0mm, 1.5mm, 1.4mm, 1.8mm and 2.9mm (p < 0.001, ANOVA). After adjustment for factors known to be associated with an increase in CAL, the mean per‐sextant CAL in never‐smokers was 2.0–2. 1mm (p = 0.11); in heavy smokers, the mean CAL for the anterior sextants was significantly higher than that for the posterior sextants (3.2mm vs. 2.8mm; p = 0.04). Conclusion: In Hong Kong, heavy smokers are more likely to experience attachment loss than are other smokers and never‐smokers, and their anterior sextants are affected more than their posterior sextants.