IADR Abstract Archives
Impact of Heat-not-Burn Tobacco on Periodontal Health: a Cohort Study
Objectives: : Smoking is associated with a variety of oral conditions and is considered one of the main risk factors for periodontal disease. Cigarette smoke affects periodontal health through different mechanisms, such as impairment of the immune response and the periodontal tissue's ability to heal in the phases following disease activity.
While clinicians’ comprehension of smoking's role in periodontitis has consistently increased across the years, society is witnessing a rapid evolution of smoking habits: the risks associated with alternative tobacco products, like tobacco heaters, is not easy to quantify.
Therefore, an observational study was conducted at the University Hospital of Messina to assess the impact of tobacco heating products on periodontal health in patients with no diagnosis of periodontitis.
Methods: A cohort of 200 patients was analyzed; patients were aged between 18 and 40 years, in good general health conditions, and declared a smoking habit history. Each patient underwent a routine dental scaling and polishing two months before inclusion. Four subgroups were defined (n=40 patients each): cigarette smokers, ex-smokers, ex-smokers that switched to heated tobacco, and dual smokers. A fifth group of non-smokers acted as control.
Periodontal charting was conducted on each patient to assess the periodontal status.
Results: Data analysis showed a statistically significant difference between patients with a smoking habit (cigarette smokers, ex-smokers that switched to heated tobacco, dual smokers) and control group/ex-smokers for what concerns probing depth, bleeding on probing, and plaque score. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between pack-year score and periodontal indexes.
Conclusions: Results from this study support the hypothesis that heat-not-burn tobacco consumption negatively affects periodontal health and should be considered a risk factor for periodontal health similar to cigarette smoking. Further investigations should be conducted in order to better comprehend its role in periodontal patients.
While clinicians’ comprehension of smoking's role in periodontitis has consistently increased across the years, society is witnessing a rapid evolution of smoking habits: the risks associated with alternative tobacco products, like tobacco heaters, is not easy to quantify.
Therefore, an observational study was conducted at the University Hospital of Messina to assess the impact of tobacco heating products on periodontal health in patients with no diagnosis of periodontitis.
Methods: A cohort of 200 patients was analyzed; patients were aged between 18 and 40 years, in good general health conditions, and declared a smoking habit history. Each patient underwent a routine dental scaling and polishing two months before inclusion. Four subgroups were defined (n=40 patients each): cigarette smokers, ex-smokers, ex-smokers that switched to heated tobacco, and dual smokers. A fifth group of non-smokers acted as control.
Periodontal charting was conducted on each patient to assess the periodontal status.
Results: Data analysis showed a statistically significant difference between patients with a smoking habit (cigarette smokers, ex-smokers that switched to heated tobacco, dual smokers) and control group/ex-smokers for what concerns probing depth, bleeding on probing, and plaque score. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between pack-year score and periodontal indexes.
Conclusions: Results from this study support the hypothesis that heat-not-burn tobacco consumption negatively affects periodontal health and should be considered a risk factor for periodontal health similar to cigarette smoking. Further investigations should be conducted in order to better comprehend its role in periodontal patients.