Objective: Several studies have reported an association between smoking and periodontal destruction. The aim of this study was to investigate the harmful effect of tobacco on the periodontal condition of a Moroccan population.
Materials and methods: It was an exposed-non exposed study of 42 patients: 21 smokers and 21 non-smokers selected from patients attending the department of periodontology in Rabat. Smokers should have smoked at least 2 years. Periodontal variables were assessed clinically (level of plaque, degree of gingival inflammation, probing depth, attachment loss, and gingival recession) and periapical radiographs.
Results: There was no difference of age or level of plaque between smokers and no smokers. For the others variants, smokers had more inflammation than non smokers (GI = 1.83 versus 1.45; p = 0.03), a number of attachment loss (45.5 for smokers, and 13.6 for non smokers; p = 0.01) and periodontal pockets (26 for smokers, and 6.3 for non smokers; p = 0.01) more important and with more severe damage (AL (attachment loss) = 1.33 in smokers versus 0.72 in non smokers; p = 0.01). The number of surfaces with bone loss is higher in smoker's group than non smoker's group (25 versus 6.36; p < 0.001). The severity of bone resorption is also important (1.26 versus 0.43; p < 0.001). There wasn't a statistically significant difference concerning gingival recessions.
Conclusions: This study suggests that tobacco has a negative effect in the periodonte of the studied Moroccan population. In smokers' patients, the prevalence of risk to develop a periodontitis is higher. In such patients, the probing depth, attachment loss and its severity, increase significantly. Level of periodontal bone is significantly decreased in patients who consume tobacco.