Gingival recession and root coverage outcomes in smokers

Abstract

Smoking is considered as the major environmental risk factor for periodontal diseases. Smokers have a higher risk for severe periodontitis with more periodontal tissue destruction, more gingival recession, and more susceptibility to tooth loss. The clinical outcomes of periodontal treatment are also adversely affected by smoking. The aim of this narrative review is to provide up-to-date evidence on the clinical outcomes of root closure in smokers. Electronic databases were searched for studies that compare the clinical outcomes in smokers and non-smokers following surgical procedures for root coverage. The clinical studies published before February 2022 were included in the review. Similar or significantly better root coverage rates have been reported in non-smokers compared to smokers. Although there are controversial findings in the literature, the majority of clinical follow-up studies suggest that non-smokers respond better than smokers to surgical interventions aiming at root closure. Smokers tend to respond less favorably to surgical interventions performed for root coverage. Smokers may be encouraged to quit smoking during non-surgical periodontal treatment that precedes surgical interventions.

Keywords

• gingival recession
• periodontal surgery
• root coverage
• smoking