Smoking and its effects on early-onset periodontitis.

The findings of a recent study show that smoking was more prevalent in a group of patients with generalized early-onset periodontitis and adult periodontitis than in patients with localized juvenile periodontitis or healthy periodontium. In patients with generalized early-onset periodontitis, smoking had a significant effect on periodontal attachment loss; these patients had significantly more teeth with affected sites and a greater mean loss of attachment than patients who did not smoke. Thus, the risk of smoking could greatly accelerate tooth loss in this relatively young group of individuals who are already at high risk for progressive periodontal attachment loss.