Relationship between cigarette smoking and oral health status

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between the smoking habit and oral health status, while adjusting for age and some aspects of dental health behavior. The data used were based on a cross-sectional study on dental checkup in the worksite, which included a self-reported questionnaire and oral examination by a dentist. The oral health status variables were CPITN scores, missing teeth/filled teeth/decayed teeth, and self-reported gum bleeding. In addition, the subjects reported in a questionnaire concerning their smoking habit and dental health behavior. Of a total of 7,713 of workers, 5,232 (67.8%) participated in the dental checkup of the worksite. From the population, only the data for 3,303 men were analyzed. We used multiple logistic regression to calculate the odds ratio (OR) for each oral health status according to the smoking habit. Current smokers, compared to subjects who had never smoked, had a higher risk of periodontal disease (OR = 2.3; 95% CI: 1.9-2.7), missing teeth (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.3-1.9) and decayed teeth (OR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.3-1.8), but they had a reduced risk of gum bleeding (OR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.6-0.8). Dose response relationships between smoking and these variables were also observed. The results indicated that cigarette smoking was associated with oral health status independent of some aspects of dental health behavior.