The results suggest that periodontal health is compromised by chronic smoking as evidenced by an increase of periodontally diseased sites concomitant with loss of periodontal bone height, as compared to non-smokers whose periodontal health condition remained unaltered throughout the 10-year period of investigation. The periodontal health condition in former smokers, similar to that of non-smokers, remained stable, suggesting that smoking cessation is beneficial to periodontal health.

Altogether, the present observations identify a negative impact from smoking on periodontal health and provide further evidence that tobacco smoking is an avoidable risk for periodontal disease.

No abstract