INVESTIGATION OF SALIVATION AND ORAL HEALTH STATUS IN HUNGARIAN SMOKING PATIENTS

Abstract

Our objective was to assess the minor and major salivary flow rates, the prevalence of xerostomia and related oral and extraoral dryness symptoms, and the oral health status of smoking compared to the non-smoking patients from different age groups in Hungary.

Methods: 901 patients (age: 18-92 years, 376 male (41.7%), 525 female (58.3%), selected according to the current official Hungarian age and residence distribution scheme) were involved. A questionnaire was designed to determine the subjective presence or absence of the sicca symptoms. Unstimulated whole saliva flow rate (UWS) was measured by the spitting method, while palatal (PS) and labial (LS) minor salivary gland flow rates were collected by the Periotron method. An oral examination was carried out, including dental (DMF-T), periodontal (periodontal probing depth, PPD and the maximum CPI-score) status, plaque-index (Löe- Silness, PI), calculus-index (CI) and gingival bleeding index (Ainamo-Bay, GBI). Data were statistically analysed using χ2 and the Students t-test at a significance level of p<0.05. This study was approved by the Semmelweis University Regional and Institutional Committee of Science and Research Ethics (No 55/2013).

Results: Smokers were 35.9% (43.4% of the men and 30.5% of the women) of the sample (323 out of 901). Questionnaire data showed 42.7% (156) of the non-smoking women and 28.2% (60) of the nonsmoking men, and 41.9% (67) of the smoking women and 35.6% (58) of the smoking men felt xerostomia. A significantly higher number (13 out of 29; 44.8%) of smoking men between the age of 30-40 reported xerostomia compared to the non-smoking men (2 out of 31; 6.5%), respectively. However, no significant difference was shown in either the UWS, or in the minor salivary gland secretions (PS, LS) between smokers and non-smokers in both genders in different age groups. Increased plaque retention (PI non-smoking women: 0.7±0.7, smoking women: 1.0±0.8; p<0.05; non- smoking men: 0.9±0.8, smoking men: 1.2±0.9; p<0.05) could be detected in smokers of both genders, and a significantly higher average probing depth (PPD non-smoking men: 2.3±0.8, smoking men: 2.6±1.0; p< 0.05) was measured in smoking men. More calculus (CI) was seen among smokers in the 40-60 and the 60-70 age groups in both genders. There was no significant difference in the DMF-T in the same age groups between smokers and non-smokers.

Conclusions: As in other populations, smoking might cause a significant destruction in the periodontal status of the Hungarian population, but we could not show any influence of smoking on caries. Smoking may also have an effect on the subjective sensation of dry mouth or any other sicca symptoms, however, according to our findings, it does not influence salivary gland function significantly.