DOI: 10.36347/sjds.2017.v04i04.002

Pages: 168-170

Smoking is an important environmental factor in chronic periodontitis and other oral cavity diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of smoking on vertical bone defects in patients with chronic periodontitis attending Department of Periodontology of Bandar Abbas Dental School. This study was conducted on 90 patients (45 smokers and 45 nonsmokers) with a clinical indication for panoramic radiography. Demographic information and frequency of tooth brushing was recorded. Then, the patients were divided into 2 groups based on smoking. The smokers were divided into 3 groups based on amount of smoking: light (less than 4.5 pack/year), moderate (between 4.5 to 15 pack/year), and heavy smokers (more than 15 pack/year). Vertical bone loss was assessed in panoramic radiographs by measuring the distance between bone level and cementoenamel junction (CEJ) and also angulation of bone in all dentition. A distance more than 2 mm with obvious angulation to the mesial or distal surface of the root was considered as vertical bone loss. Amount of vertical bone loss was recorded in mm.: Prevalence of vertical bone loss was 60% in nonsmokers and 93.3% in smokers, which indicates a significant difference (P<o.oo1). Moreover a strong correlation was found between amount of smoking and severity of bone loss. Degree of bone loss was associated with age in nonsmokers (P=0.001), but not in smokers (P=0.059). Also, vertical bone loss did not correlate with gender both in smokers and nonsmokers (P=1.000 and P=0.088, respectively). Moreover, presence of vertical bone loss was not associated with frequency of brushing in both groups (P=0.650 and P=0.072, respectively).: Vertical bone loss was significantly more frequent in smokers compared to nonsmokers. Also, a strong correlation existed between amount of smoking and severity of bone loss.