Cigarette smoking and periodontal destruction in young adults

The relationship between cigarette smoking and periodontal destruction was assessed in young adults. Eighty-two regular dental attenders (21 current cigarette smokers, 61 non-smokers) aged between 20 and 33 years were examined. The smokers consumed on average 15.4 (+/- 7.3) cigarettes per day and had smoked for an average of 11.8 (+/- 7) years. Cigarette smokers had almost the same levels of plaque as non-smokers but had more proximal surfaces with subgingival calculus (P < 0.01) and which bled on probing (P < 0.05). Smokers had significantly more pockets > or = 4 mm (14.6 +/- 19.9) than non-smokers (5.8 +/- 7.9), P < 0.01. Only 2 (10%) of the smokers and 1 (2%) of the non-smokers had deep pocketing (> or = 6 mm). Smokers had significantly more sites (21.8 +/- 24.9) with periodontal attachment loss of > or = 2 mm than non-smokers (9.3 +/- 12.2), P < 0.01. Severe loss of periodontal attachment (> or = 6 mm) was present in 4 (19%) of smokers compared with 2 (3%) of non smokers. In total 4 (19%) of the smokers had "established periodontitis" compared with 1 (2%) of the non-smokers. The odds ratio for the presence of "established periodontitis" and smoking was 14.1 (confidence interval 1.5 to 132.9). It is concluded that cigarette smoking was a major environmental factor associated with accelerated periodontal destruction in this selected group of young adult regular dental attenders.