Occurrence of gingival bleeding in smoker and non-smoker patients

The objective of the present investigation was to study the influence of cigarette smoking on the occurrence of gingival bleeding. The occurrence of bleeding was evaluated by probing at a standardized pressure of 60 g. The bleeding occurrence of each patient was indicated by the number of sites bleeding on probing as a percentage of the total. Twenty patients with moderate to severe periodontitis, 10 smokers and 10 non-smokers, participated in the study. The smoker patients had been regular smokers for at least 15 years, their present tobacco consumption being 20 cigarettes a day or more. The results showed that, although they had a significantly greater plaque index, smokers displayed a significantly lower bleeding occurrence than non-smokers, the average being 27% and 40%, respectively. The present findings suggest that gingival bleeding as measured by probing with a pressure of 60 g is reduced in smokers with periodontitis.