Impact of smoking on oral health and its prevention

Impact of smoking on oral health and its prevention

Cigarette smoking has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, poorly controlled diabetes, respiratory disease and premature deliveries. Also, tobacco use is a primary cause of many oral diseases. Approximately one-third of the adult population in the world use tobacco in some form or other. The World Health Organization has designed the oral health programme for effective control of tobacco use.1 This letter focuses briefly on the effect of smoking on oral health and its preventive measures. 

___

  • 1. Petersen PE. Tobacco and Oral Health –the Role of the World Health Organization. Oral Health Prev Dent 2003; 1: 309–315.
  • 2. Johnson, NW, Bain C. Tobacco and oral disease. EU-Working Group on Tobacco and Oral Health. British Dental Journal 2000; 189:200- 206.
  • 3. Reibel J. Tobacco and oral diseases: an update on the evidence, with recommendations. Med Princ Pract 2003;12:22-32.
  • 4. Allard R, Johnson N, Sardella A et al. Tobacco and Oral Diseases – Report of EU Working Group, 1999., J Ir Dent Assoc 1999;46(1): 12-23.
  • 5. Bain CA, Moy PK. The association between the failure of dental implants and cigarette smoking. Int J Maxillofac Implants. 1993;8:609-15
  • 6. Haigh AF. Dental recalls are useful for detecting oral cancer. Letters; BMJ; 2000;320:803.
  • 7. Johnson, N. Series – Oral Cancer: Practical prevention. FDI World; 1997;6(6):10-17
  • 8. Tobacco and oral health (November 2001). Action on smoking and health. http://www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_5 98.pdf. Date accessed: 3 October 2009.
  • 9. Kramer IR, Pindborg JJ, Bezroukov V et al. Guide to epidemiology and diagnosis of the oral mucosal diseases and conditions. WHO; Commun Dent Oral Epidemiol; 1980;8:1-26.
  • 10. Oral Cancer – Guidelines for early detection. BDA; Occasional Paper No.5; 1998.