Smoking and Your Child’s Dental Health

By David L. Scott, DDS

Smoking is considered the number one risk factor for periodontal disease. Additionally adults exposed to passive smoke are 1.6 times more likely to have periodontal disease. Passive smoke is linked to many health problems in children asthma, ear infections, respiratory tract infections, bronchitis and pneumonia. Cotinine is a breakdown product of nicotine and a commonly used biomarker for tobacco use.
Researchers at Kinkkale University in Turkey are the first to examine the connection between passive smoking and periodontal health in children. They evaluated children under the age of 12 to avoid confounding their findings with young smokers. Two groups were evaluated, 51 children of smokers and 58 unexposed children. Clinical indices were recorded at six sites per tooth, on four teeth per child. Saliva and urine samples were taken to measure cotinine levels.
Salivary cotinine levels were twice as high in children of smokers compared to children of non-smokers. Clinical indices did not show a difference between groups, except a slightly greater clinical attachment level in children exposed to passive smoke.
However, there does seem to be an influence on periodontal health in children exposed to passive smoke, based on continine levels. Although not directly causing periodontal disease, periodontal tissue metabolism might be altered explaining the loss of attachment. Based on other research, exposure to passive smoke delays eruption of permanent teeth in children, and might impact craniofacial development by reducing nasal volume.
Clinical implications Parents who smoke around their children should be warned of the potential harmful effects passive smoke can have on their childrens periodontal health.
Information obtained from Perio Reports, Vol. 22 No. 4.