New study finds that exposure to traditional cigarettes is more harmful to gum tissue
It is no secret that smoking has many harmful effects on health, so the best decision for any smoker is to quit this habit permanently. One major health risk, among others, is an 85% increase in the risk of developing gingivitis and periodontitis, and an increased risk of tooth loss in patients suffering from this inflammation.
The exposure to cigarette smoke inhibits the vitality and proliferation of immune blood cells, which leads to a decrease in their ability to resist germs and produce antibiotics, slows wound healing, especially after tooth extraction, and reduces healing possibility, in addition to the weak response to gum treatment and other harmful consequences for the gums, mouth and its mucous membrane.
In contrast, exposing teeth to heated tobacco aerosol has a less harmful effect than exposing them to burnt tobacco smoke, which may make it a less harmful alternative for smokers and those who wish to quit smoking.
To investigate the actual impact of heated tobacco on oral health, a team of Croatian researchers from the Rijeka Clinical Hospital Center, the faculty of dental medicine at the University of Rijeka, and the faculty of medicine and dentistry at the University of Osijek studied the effect of both tobacco products on gum tissue. The results of this study, which were published in the journal “Dentistry”, showed that exposure to cigarette smoke is more harmful to gum tissue than heated tobacco because heating tobacco instead of burning it releases fewer harmful components.
To conduct the study, the researchers divided the participants into three groups, matching them by age and gender: non-smokers, traditional cigarette smokers, and heated tobacco users, with no significant differences in oral hygiene protocols or frequency of tooth brushing between the three groups.
Probing depth was one of the most important factors in the study. Specifically, to conduct the clinical examination, the Croatian scientists used a periodontal probe to record probing depth, full-mouth bleeding score, full-mouth plaque score, gingival recession, tooth mobility, furcation defects (destruction of the supporting tissues of multi-rooted teeth), and clinical attachment level.
The three groups differed in the average of gingival depth and loss of clinical attachment level, with conventional cigarette smokers having the highest levels and non-smokers having the lowest levels. While heated tobacco users achieved better gum results compared to traditional cigarette smokers. Gum indices were also worse in heated tobacco users compared to non-smokers, but did not reach a statistically significant level. While smoking was the only indicator of gingivitis in the periodontal regression models.
This research concluded that exposure to heated tobacco aerosol containing nicotine in adults has a less harmful effect on gum tissue, which can be measured by gum indices, including probing depth and clinical attachment loss, compared to traditional cigarettes.
Although exposure to heated tobacco aerosol does not eliminate the harm caused by traditional smoking to gum health completely, it does reduce the harm significantly, in line with the concept of harm reduction. It also promotes gum health for those who are unwilling to quit smoking.
