IMPACT OF SMOKING ON PERIODONTAL HEALTH

Abstract

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the tooth supporting structures. Tobacco smoking has been found to be a major environmental risk factor associated with generalized forms of severe periodontitis in severalstudies. Cigarette smoke contains at least 500 potentially toxic substances, including hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, free radicals, nicotine, nitrosaminesand a variety of oxidant gases that cause platelet activation and endothelial dysfunction.Smoking disrupts the oral microbiome, enhances bacterial virulence, and impairs immune responses, making smokers more susceptible to periodontal disease.