TOBACCO-INDUCED PERIODONTAL TISSUE CHANGES.
Pindborg (1947) was one of the first investigators to study the relationship between smoking and periodontal disease. He discovered a higher prevalence of acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. Early studies show that smokers had higher levels of periodontitis but they also had poorer levels of oral hygiene and higher levels of calculus [Table 1].
Table 1
Tobacco induced periodontal tissue changes
This paper reviews the potential impact of both smoking and smokeless tobacco use on periodontal disease.