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. 2017 Aug 4;14(8):880.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph14080880.

Gingival Pigmentation Affected by Smoking among Different Age Groups: A Quantitative Analysis of Gingival Pigmentation Using Clinical Oral Photographs

Tomotaka Kato  1 , Shinsuke Mizutani  2 , Hiroya Takiuchi  3 , Seiichi Sugiyama  4 , Takashi Hanioka  5 , Toru Naito  6
Affiliations

Gingival Pigmentation Affected by Smoking among Different Age Groups: A Quantitative Analysis of Gingival Pigmentation Using Clinical Oral Photographs

Tomotaka Kato et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The presence of any age-related differences in gingival pigmentation associated with smoking, particularly in a young population, remains to be fully investigated. The purpose of this study was to determine the age-related differences in smoking gingival pigmentation. Gingival pigmentation was analyzed using the gingival melanosis record (GMR) and Hedin's classification with frontal oral photographs taken at 16 dental offices in Japan. Participants were categorized into 10-year age groups, and their baseline photographs were compared. In addition, to evaluate the effect of smoking cessation on gingival pigmentation, subjects were divided into a former smoker group (stopped smoking) and current smoker group. A total of 259 patients 19 to 79 years of age were analyzed. People in their 30s showed the most widespread gingival pigmentation. In addition, subjects in their 20s showed a weak effect of smoking cessation on gingival pigmentation. These findings suggested that the gingival pigmentation induced by smoking was more remarkable in young people than in middle-aged people. This information may be useful for anti-smoking education, especially among young populations with a high affinity for smoking.

Keywords: age difference; clinical oral photographs; gingival melanosis; smoking.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Measurement of gingival pigmentation (gingival melanosis record: GMR, Left was outline and right was evaluating coverage).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Degrees of gingival pigmentation (Hedin’s classification). (1) A baseline was drawn horizontally on the maxillary gingiva at the crown length of the maxillary right lateral incisor. (2) Between the right and left maxillary canines, a vertical line was drawn from the baseline to the cervical line of each tooth. (3) Nine points were plotted to separate eight equal parts on the vertical line, and it was adopted that measuring sites were the points in the attached gingiva, and the vertical lines were placed at mesial and central and distal points of the frontal teeth. (4) The presence of pigmentation at the measuring sites was evaluated and the percentile with pigmentation was calculated for the gingival melanosis record (GMR).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean GMR score (A) and Mean Hedin’s classification (B) grouped according to age at baseline.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Mean GMR scores of former smokers vs. current smokers at baseline and follow-up.
Figure 5
Figure 5
A comparison of the mean GMR scores of former smokers at baseline and follow-up, grouped according to age * p < 0.05 (paired t-test).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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