Chewing Tobacco Linked to Tooth Decay
Chewing Tobacco Linked to Tooth Decay:
Individuals who use chewing tobacco have significantly more decay on the crowns and roots of their teeth than do non-tobacco users, according to a report presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Dental Research.
Dr. Scott Tomar from the University of California, San Francisco, and Dr. Deborah Winn from the NIDR evaluated caries data and interviews taken from the 14,807 participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES III). The investigators distinguished between users of chewing tobacco (the leaf and plug forms of spit tobacco), and other types of tobacco such as snuff (the finely-ground form of spit tobacco), cigarettes, and cigars.
There were 135 respondents who currently used chewing tobacco only. These individuals had an average of 40.9 decayed, missing, or filled surfaces in the crowns of the teeth (out of 128 possible surfaces) compared to an average of 36.9 similarly compromised surfaces in persons who had never used tobacco. The differences between the two groups were also significant when comparing the number of decayed or filled root surfaces-3.7 surfaces for tobacco chewers vs. 1.0 for non-tobacco users.
The study suggests that chewing tobacco may pose a cariogenic risk for all tooth surfaces and is potentially a two-pronged threat for tooth roots. There is good evidence, according to the investigators, that tobacco products in general can contribute to gum disease and therefore make roots vulnerable to decay. Furthermore, they say, chewing tobacco is processed to contain higher levels of sugar than other forms of tobacco, and the sugar can encourage bacteria to colonize and attack both the tooth crowns and exposed roots.
Individuals who use chewing tobacco have significantly more decay on the crowns and roots of their teeth than do non-tobacco users, according to a report presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Dental Research.
Dr. Scott Tomar from the University of California, San Francisco, and Dr. Deborah Winn from the NIDR evaluated caries data and interviews taken from the 14,807 participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES III). The investigators distinguished between users of chewing tobacco (the leaf and plug forms of spit tobacco), and other types of tobacco such as snuff (the finely-ground form of spit tobacco), cigarettes, and cigars.
There were 135 respondents who currently used chewing tobacco only. These individuals had an average of 40.9 decayed, missing, or filled surfaces in the crowns of the teeth (out of 128 possible surfaces) compared to an average of 36.9 similarly compromised surfaces in persons who had never used tobacco. The differences between the two groups were also significant when comparing the number of decayed or filled root surfaces-3.7 surfaces for tobacco chewers vs. 1.0 for non-tobacco users.
The study suggests that chewing tobacco may pose a cariogenic risk for all tooth surfaces and is potentially a two-pronged threat for tooth roots. There is good evidence, according to the investigators, that tobacco products in general can contribute to gum disease and therefore make roots vulnerable to decay. Furthermore, they say, chewing tobacco is processed to contain higher levels of sugar than other forms of tobacco, and the sugar can encourage bacteria to colonize and attack both the tooth crowns and exposed roots.