Dental caries, missing teeth, and oral health behavior among smokers

Objective: To determine dental caries, missing teeth, and oral health behavior among smokers and to correlate same with nicotine dependence. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out among smokers and age-matched nonsmokers in Benin-City, Edo State Nigeria. Nicotine dependence, periodontal knowledge, subjectively rated periodontal status, and oral self-care were assessed with questionnaire while carious, missing, and filled teeth were recorded during oral examination. Results: The mean periodontal health knowledge was 1.65 for smokers and 2.75 for nonsmokers. The mean subjectively rated periodontal status was 4.25 for smokers and 3.40 for nonsmokers. The mean oral health behavior was 9.05 for smokers and 10.50 for nonsmokers. The mean carious teeth was 2.10 for smokers and was 1.00 for nonsmokers. Nicotine addiction was negative correlated with periodontal knowledge, oral behavior, carious teeth, filled teeth, and abrasion teeth but positively correlated with subjectively rated periodontal status and missing teeth. Conclusion: Smokers had lower periodontal knowledge, poorer subjectively rated periodontal health, poorer oral self-care behavior and more carious teeth than nonsmokers. Further studies to include smokers with high nicotine dependence are recommended.