Smoking has repeatedly been linked to causing serious oral health issues, including periodontitis. However, a study suggests that in heavy smokers with advanced inflammation, no benefits are obtained from treatments.

A study from the Journal of Dental Research considered the effect of different levels of smoking on the clinical success of periodontitis treatments.

The researchers observed that heavy smokers with severe inflammation received no benefits from treatment. Heavy smokers with moderate periodontitis only had a 50 per cent effect from the treatment, compared to smokers with lower tobacco consumption.

Julie Pajaniaye, dental hygienist and one of the authors of the study, said to EurekaAlert!, “To our surprise, we could see that the disease had actually grown worse in some parameters in the hardest-hit group, despite the fact that this particular group had received the most extensive, individually-designed treatment.”

Previous studies have estimated that periodontitis affects up to 70 per cent of people in Western countries and is the sixth most common disease in the world.

Julie argues that the study demonstrates the need for more smoking cessation courses to prevent periodontitis. She said, “This is completely new knowledge for the country’s dental clinics, and it should be taken into account when treatment is being planned for the individual patients.”

The study showed that amongst heavy smokers, the disease might worsen during active treatment. Julie commented, “As a heavy smoker with periodontitis, it is very important to understand that working towards stopping smoking is a crucial step in the effective treatment of the disease.”

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