Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Jan;14(1):72-9.
doi: 10.4103/0972-124X.65442.

Nicotine and periodontal tissues

Ranjan Malhotra  1 , Anoop Kapoor, Vishakha Grover, Sumit Kaushal
Affiliations

Nicotine and periodontal tissues

Ranjan Malhotra et al. J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2010 Jan.

Abstract

Tobacco use has been recognized to be a significant risk factor for the development and progression of periodontal disease. Its use is associated with increased pocket depths, loss of periodontal attachment, alveolar bone and a higher rate of tooth loss. Nicotine, a major component and most pharmacologically active agent in tobacco is likely to be a significant contributing factor for the exacerbation of periodontal diseases. Available literature suggests that nicotine affects gingival blood flow, cytokine production, neutrophil and other immune cell function; connective tissue turnover, which can be the possible mechanisms responsible for overall effects of tobacco on periodontal tissues. Inclusion of tobacco cessation as a part of periodontal therapy encourages dental professionals to become more active in tobacco cessation counseling. This will have far reaching positive effects on our patients' oral and general health.

Keywords: Nicotine; smoking; smoking cessation; tobacco.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

References

    1. Palmer R, Soory M. Modifying factors: Diabetes, puberty, pregnancy and the menopause and tobacco smoking. In: Lindhe J, Karring T, Lang P, editors. Clinical periodontology and implant dentistry. 4th ed. 2003. p. 188.
    1. Novak MJ, Novak KF. Newman, Takei and Carranza, Carranza’s- Clinical Periodontology. 9th ed. 2003. Smoking and periodontal disease; p. 245.
    1. Darby ML, Walsh MM. Tobacco cessation. Dental hygiene theory and practice. 2nd ed. 2003. p. 590.
    1. Darby ML, Walsh MM. Tobacco cessation. Dental hygiene theory and practice. 2nd ed. 2003. p. 592.
    1. Ah MK, Johnson GK, Kaldahl WB, Patil KD, Kalkwarf KL. The effect of smoking on the response to periodontal therapy. J Clin Periodontol. 1994;21:91–7. - PubMed