[Effects of smoking on edentulous alveolar ridge mucosa].

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco use is an important risk factor for advanced histopathological findings on edentulous alveolar ridge mucosa. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of smoking on histopathological findings on edentulous alveolar ridge mucosa. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The experimental group consisted of 48 patients (29 smokers and 19 nonsmokers). The mean age of smokers was 42.6 and of nonsmokers 48.7 years. The anamnesis included the following data: age, sex, diseases and toxic habits--cigarette smoking. Biopsy samples were taken from the edentulous alveolar ridge mucosa without gross signs of symptoms. RESULTS: The mean number of cigarettes smoked per day was 11.5 +/- 7. The results of chi2 test proved that there were no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) in histopathological findings on the alveolar ridge mucosa. The mean duration of smoking was 12.7 +/- 5 years. Hyperkeratosis was established in 76.92% of smokers who smoked longer than 15 years. The mean age at which smokers began smoking was 27.3 +/- 8 years and there were no statistically significant differences in histopathological findings on the alveolar ridge mucosa correlated with the beginning of smoking. CONCLUSION: On the basis of our research we conclude that smokers who have been smoking for 15 years are at risk for developing histopathological changes of the alveolar ridge mucosa, but there were no statistically significant differences in histopathological findings on the alveolar ridge mucosa correlated with the number of cigarettes per day and the beginning of smoking.

[Effect of smoking on resorption of residual alveolar ridges in complete denture wearers]. / Uticaj pusenja na resorpciju rezidualnog alveolarnog grebena kod nosilaca totalnih zubnih proteza.

INTRODUCTION: Based on literature data it is obvious that there is a connection between smoking and periodontal diseases. Alveolar bone loss increases with smoking. Tobacco smoking affects the proportion of subgingival bacterial flora by influencing oxidoreduction potential of dental plaque and thus making conditions for development of anaerobic bacteria. According to some researchers, smoking affects the mineral component of bone tissue. Orthopantomograms show higher level of alveolar bone loss in smokers than in nonsmokers with the same level of oral hygiene. The aim of this study was to establish if smoking affects alveolar bone loss in complete denture wearers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our clinical investigation included 60 patients of both sexes (30 smokers and 30 nonsmokers) all complete dentures wearers. All patients met study criteria: jaw relation and smokers who smoke over 20 cigarettes per day. All subjects were interviewed, and after that orthopantomograms were made. They were used to calculate the degree of alveolar bone loss. RESULTS: The examined subjects were approximately of the same age. Mean age of smokers was 59.9 and nonsmokers 61.8. It was established that differences regarding resorption in men were not significant. The degree of resorption in women smokers and women non-smokers was different, but differences were not significant. DISCUSSION: It has been proven that the number of cigarettes smoked per day is very important. It is considered that the risk of oral epithelial dysplasia increases when smoking more than 20 cigarettes per day. Considering our results regarding resorption of edentulous alveolar ridge in smokers and nonsmokers, we concluded that there were no significant differences. There are opinions in literature that smoking is not an etiological factor in resorption, but there are some opinions that smoking is connected with the degree of resorption in periodontium. The analyses of resorptive changes in edentuolous smokers were done only around implants and it was estimated that smoking has more influence than other clinical risk factors. CONCLUSION: On the bases of our research we may conclude that smoking does not directly affect the degree of resorption of edentulous alveolar ridge with complete denture wearers.