Smoking is known to be a risk factor for the progression of periodontal disease.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the association between intensity and duration of cigarette smoking with the presence of periodontal pockets at a young adult age in relation to oral hygiene practices.
Materials and methods: A comparative study was carried out on a systematically selected random sample of 357 Jordanian university students aged between 18-28 years. Subjects were interviewed about their smoking habits for the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the duration. Clinical examination was performed by a qualified periodontist for the detection of periodontal pockets (probing depth > or = 5 mm). Subjects were divided into four groups: Group A (smoker with pockets at many sites), Group B (smoker with no pockets), Group C (non-smoker with pockets), and group D (non-smoker with no pockets). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Chi-square test of association, One-Way ANOVA, and Logistic Regression were performed (P < 0.05).
Results: The study showed 40.2% pockets prevalence among smokers (group A), while it was only 11.8% for non-smokers (group C), indicating strong association between periodontal pockets and smoking (P < 0.0001). Odds ratio for group A compared to group C was 5:1. In addition, the heavier the dose and the longer the duration of smoking, the more periodontal pockets were present (P < 0.0001). A significant association of the presence/absence of periodontal pockets and patient's own oral hygiene practices was found among the four groups (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Among young smokers, this study has confirmed existence of significant association between smoking and presence of periodontal pockets, especially with increased intensity and longer duration of smoking.