Periodontal Health Status of Tombak Dippers in Algitaina Hospital

Introduction: When we think about Toombak use, we have the tendency to limit our concern to the increased risk for oral cancer. Objectives: This study investigates the effects of snuff on the periodontal status of male patients randomly selected from population of Algitaina province from patients attending dental clinic. Methods: Data were collect using a questionnaire containing questions on general and oral health, daily oral hygiene and tobacco habits. The clinical examination was carried out in dental office and the examination also assessed plaque Index (PI),gingival index (GI),mobility (MOB), probable pocket depth (PPD) and recession (RE).The calculus was examined and the site and location of the calculus were recorded. Results: One hundred male dippers with mean age 39.18±12.87 years were selected. 88% put the snuff on the labial site and 65% used it  for more than 10 years. There was evidence of a relationship between recession (RE) and:Site of dipping with (p =0.02), Duration of dipping (p =0.001), Class of age of dippers (p =0.02)
There was also evidence of a relationship between the site of dipping and: Site of calculus (anterior, posterior, or both) with p =0.049, Location of calculus (supragingival, subgingival, or both) p =0.01. There was strong association between recession and duration of dipping (p=0.001) and between site of dipping and recession (p = 0.02). Conclusion: The relatively low prices of Tombak together with a high availability of the product make preventive measures very important.