This study was aimed to evaluate the frequency of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) within the 6-week period after quitting smoking. The study group consisted of 90 subjects. Oral, medical findings and tobacco habits were recorded for all subjects. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and behavioral treatment were applied to some of the subjects by a family physician. All subjects were evaluated for their RAS and periodontal measurements on baseline, 1, 3, 6 weeks by a periodontist. While the subjects were in this smoking cessation programme, 64 of the 90 smokers successfully quit smoking within the 6 weeks and 26 smokers dropped out during the third week of the study. Point prevalence of RAS among the subjects on the first day of the quitting period and at the end of the first, third and sixth week after smoking cessation was 3.3% (3/90), 18.9% (17/90), 21.1% (19/90) and 17.1 (11/64), respectively. In the following weeks, aphthous ulcer point prevalence was significantly higher than the quitting level (p < 0.05). As the time after quitting increased, the incidence of aphthous ulcer decreased. Of 64 patients, 35 (54.6%) completed the 6 weeks using NRT and 29 (45.4%) of them did not use any medication. The aphthous ulcer frequency observed in the patients taking NRT [11.4% (4/35)] was lower when compared with the subjects taking no NRT [24.1% (7/29)] (p > 0.05). The results of this study confirm that RAS is a complication of quitting smoking. Further studies are needed to identify the effects of NRT on RAS.

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Objective: We aimed to describe tobacco use and tobacco related attitudes and perceptions among the Yeditepe University students with a special focus on waterpipe use, and to investigate the relationship between first-tried tobacco product and established smoking. Method: An anonymous questionnaire survey (a cross-sectional study) was conducted in the spring term of the 2014-15 academic year. Study subjects included all four year students (n=354) of the faculties of medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, and health sciences of the Yeditepe University (Istanbul/Turkey). The response rate was 97.5%. Results: The prevalence of current smoking was 53.5% in males, 29.7% in females. Of the male students 58.6%, among female students 32.1% smoked any tobacco product at least once in the last 30 days. While the proportion of those who have ever tried, even one puff, any tobacco product was 80.8% in males, 71.5% in females (p=0.075). The first-tried tobacco product was a cigarette among half of them, and a waterpipe product in the other half. The most tried tobacco product among females was a waterpipe product. While there was no relationship between the first-tried tobacco product and established smoking, of those who ever tried a tobacco product 74%, and 45% became established smokers in males and females respectively (p<0.001). Of the 100 current daily smokers 100%, and of the 26 non-daily current smokers 73% were cigarette smokers. Of those who were current smokers, 69% had become an established smoker during their university years in females, and 55.5% in males. A significant relationship was found between frequency of going to a café and current smoking. Mostly stated factors attracting students to use waterpipe were "taste, smell or aroma of the waterpipe smoke", and "social ambiance with friends". Conclusion: The state of the tobacco use epidemic among the students was found alarming. For the university students their university years seem to be the most important period regarding starting smoking. As a first-tried tobacco product, waterpipe appeared to be as important as cigarettes. Whether the first-tried tobacco product is cigarette or waterpipe, those who have ever tried them once, have a similar chance to become an established smoker. In the end, almost all of the smokers smoked cigarettes suggesting that waterpipe products feed cigarettes.

This study aimed to define the smoking status and smoke-related gingival melanin pigmentation in army recruitments and was conducted with army recruitments in Sivas. Nine hundred eight subjects were examined. The oral and dental health of those subjects was checked and recorded. The smoking status of the subjects was self-reported and recorded on questionnaires by researchers. The chi2 test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for statistical analysis. More than one-half of the subjects (54.3%) were primary school graduates and the mean age was 20.2 +/- 0.95 years. The response rate regarding smoking was 100%. Of the respondents, 596 (65.7%) were current smokers, 12 (1.3%) were former smokers, and 300 (33.0%) were never smokers. The gingival melanin pigmentation rate was 27.5% in current smokers and 8.6% in those who never smoked (p = 0.000). Smoking five to nine cigarettes a day appeared to be sufficient to cause gingival melanin pigmentation. The proportion of smokers who had melanin pigmentation did not change after 10 cigarettes a day. A rehabilitation project on smoking prevention and smoking cessation for army recruitments is urgently needed.