[Effects of smoking on edentulous alveolar ridge mucosa]

Tobacco use is an important risk factor for advanced histopathological findings on edentulous alveolar ridge mucosa. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of smoking on histopathological findings on edentulous alveolar ridge mucosa.

The experimental group consisted of 48 patients (29 smokers and 19 nonsmokers). The mean age of smokers was 42.6 and of nonsmokers 48.7 years. The anamnesis included the following data: age, sex, diseases and toxic habits--cigarette smoking. Biopsy samples were taken from the edentulous alveolar ridge mucosa without gross signs of symptoms.

The mean number of cigarettes smoked per day was 11.5 +/- 7. The results of chi2 test proved that there were no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) in histopathological findings on the alveolar ridge mucosa. The mean duration of smoking was 12.7 +/- 5 years. Hyperkeratosis was established in 76.92% of smokers who smoked longer than 15 years. The mean age at which smokers began smoking was 27.3 +/- 8 years and there were no statistically significant differences in histopathological findings on the alveolar ridge mucosa correlated with the beginning of smoking.

On the basis of our research we conclude that smokers who have been smoking for 15 years are at risk for developing histopathological changes of the alveolar ridge mucosa, but there were no statistically significant differences in histopathological findings on the alveolar ridge mucosa correlated with the number of cigarettes per day and the beginning of smoking.