Effect of smoking on aerobic microflora of dental plaques

ABSTRACT

Dental plaques of 36 smokers of cigarettes, shisha and ghoza with a mean age of 35.4 years As well as those of a control group of [23] non smokers of similar age were investigated to study their aerobic microflora, The specimen were taken from So dental plaque. Their bacterial population was estimated. Smoker! using cigarette had the lower score gingivitis [0-2] while those using shisha and ghoza had higher score [3-4] as compared with control group. showing [Zero-1] score. The type of organisms en countered in smokers was not markedly different from that in not smokers but their numbers varied a lot. However, streptococci diphtheroids and micrococci took the upper hand in the latter while lactose and non lactose fermenting gram ve bacilli and Candida tropicalis were absent from such samples. Higher counts of fungi were noted in smokers in general and those of shisha i ghoza in particular. Association of high numbers of yeasts and bacteria was noted in 19/36 and 5/23 of smokers and non smokers respectively. Three types of yeasts were isolated C. albicans C. tropicalis saccharomyces cervicae. While filamentous fungi represented by aspergillus and penicillium spp. It was obviom from that when there was rise in number of fungi iii smokers number of bacteria was simulataneouly increased as well