Smoking as a risk factor for periodontitis: A literature review / Tabagismo como um fator de risco para periodontite: Uma revisão de literatura

Smoking is an important risk factor for periodontitis. The high prevalence of smokers in any population makes smoking a feasible target for intervention in public health. The magnitude of the associated risk between smoking and periodontitis varies among studies, and this variation is the result of the case definition adopted rather than the limitations of the population studies. A MEDLINE search was used to identify previous publications, and a literature review was developed based on the selected articles. Smoking was consistently identified as a risk factor for periodontitis, but the risk estimates varied between studies. The comparison of risk estimates between studies was affected by the lack of uniformity for case definitions of periodontitis and smoking status.

O tabagismo é um importante fator de risco para periodontite. A alta prevalência de fumantes em qualquer população torna o hábito de fumar um alvo possível para intervenção em saúde pública. A magnitude do risco associado entre tabagismo e periodontite varia entre os estudos na literatura e esta variação é o resultado mais de uma definição do caso que de limitações dos estudos populacionais. Uma busca na base MEDLINE foi realizada para identificar publicações anteriores e a revisão de literatura foi desenvolvida baseada em artigos selecionados. O tabagismo foi identificado consistentemente como um fator de risco para periodontite, mas as estimativas de risco variaram entre os estudos. A comparação das estimativas de risco entre estudos foi afetada pela falta de uniformidade das definições de casos de periodontite e de condições de tabagismo.

Width of attached gingiva in an Indian population: A descriptive study.

Objectives: Attached gingiva is important for maintaining periodontium in a healthy state. The present study tries to find the normal values of width of attached gingiva in a periodontally healthy Indian population. Material and Methods: The width of attached gingiva was measured with a periodontal probe in periodontally healthy patients attending the periodontics department. Descriptive statistical analysis was done to get the mean, which will represent the normal values of width of attached gingiva for the population. Results: Female patients had a greater width than males and the 20 to 30 year old group had the greatest width of attached gingiva. The mean values of attached gingiva varied in different areas of the mouth with greatest width in maxillary central incisors and least in mandibular molars. Conclusion: Width of attached gingiva varies with age, gender and in different areas of the mouth.