Research links second-hand smoke to cavities
A research study has linked second-hand smoke to a higher risk of cavities.
Dr Taru Kinnunen, director of the Tobacco Dependence Treatment and Research Program at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.
Kinnunen was speaking at the University of Manitoba dental faculty’s annual research day yesterday; he told members of the audience that passive smoking increased the risk of cavities because smoke was still able to enter the nasal cavities and the mouth and this affected the constitution of the saliva. Dr Kinnunen said that the research was still at an early stage and said that further study was required.
Initial results show that children who are exposed to passive smoke have a higher incidence of cavities. Dr Kinnunen said that tobacco smoking was still a global epidemic, despite figures showing that smoking has become less common in Western countries; smoking is most commonly associated with cancer but numerous research studies have linked smoking to oral health conditions, including gum disease and lesions. Smoking affects all the tissues in the mouth, contributing to gum problems, stained teeth and accelerated bone loss.
Speaking yesterday, Dr Kinnunen encouraged smokers to try and give up, saying that quitting had almost instantaneous benefits; giving up smoking before the age of 40 can halve the risk of losing teeth after two years of not smoking.
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