Romanian Journal of Oral Rehabilitation (Dec 2023)
EVALUATION OF SMOKING EFFECTS ON SALIVARY PARAMETERS IN CARIOUS DISEASE
Abstract
Tobacco smoke contains a variety of harmful chemicals such as tar, benzopyrene, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide. These substances can affect both the quality and quantity of saliva, thus disrupting remineralization processes. Smoking can have a significant impact on the inorganic component of saliva and, consequently, can affect its viscosity and degree of mineralization.The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of smoking and the correlations of some cariogenic risk parameters such as DMFT Index, resting and stimulated salivary flow rate, salivary pH and buffer capacity and micro-crystallization index in smokers using classic and electronic cigarettes. Material and method:The study was performed on 50 patients from the Clinical Base of the Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Iași, Romania with a medium number of carious lesions and a medium carious risk. The patients aged between 19 and 35 years, were divided into five groups (n=10): I – non-smokers, II – light smokers (1-10 classic cigarettes/day), III – moderate smokers (10-20 classic cigarettes/day), IV – high consumption (over 20 classic cigarettes/day) and V – electronic cigarette smokers. Results showed that the DMFT index values were very low in non-smokers while the highest values were reached by the electronic cigarettes users. Regarding the resting and stimulated salivary flow rate, the values decreased significantly in classic cigarettes medium and high consumers and in electronic cigarettes users when compared to non-smokers. When analyzing the pH and buffer capacity values it can be observed that smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day or the use electronic cigarettes can significantly reduce the values. The micro-crystallization index is also reduced in electronic cigarettes smokers or in medium or high classic cigarettes consumers. Conclusions: Consumption of more than 10 classic cigarettes per day or electronic cigarette affects the resting and stimulated salivary flow rate, the salivary pH value, the buffer capacity and the micro-crystallization index. E-cigarette users or smokers of more than 20 cigarettes per day are associated with an increased number of decayed, missing or filled teeth.
