SMOKING AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL RISK FACTOR FOR PERIODONTITIS

Cigarette smoking is a known risk factor for many diseases, and mounting evidence suggests that smoking adversely influences oral health. For the last few decades, dentists have become more aware of the critical role of smoking on the incidence and severity of periodontal disease. The aim of the study was to analyse the influence of smoking on periodontal health using exfoliative citology. 200 patients participated in the study: 100 nonsmokers (group I) and 100 smokers (group II). After anamnesis and oral examination, smears were taken from gingival tissue and processed for cytomorphometric analysis. All of the patients received oral hygiene instructions afterwards. T-test for independent samples revealed significantly higher values of investigated cytomorphometric values in smokers than nonsmokers (p < 0.001). According to cytomorphometric analysis of gingiva, periodontal disease is more advanced in smokers compared to patients who do not smoke. These findings suggest that smoking is very important environmental risk factor associated with periodontal disease. Further investigation of new preventive strategies and continuous work in smoking cessation are necessary for improving general and periodontal health.