Purpose: Many studies have shown a positive association between cigarette smoking and oral diseases. Few studies, however, have focused on the relationship between passive smoking exposure and oral health in adults. We investigated the association of active and passive smoking exposure with tooth loss in Japan.
Methods: Study subjects were 1002 pregnant women. Tooth loss was defined as previous extraction of one or more teeth. Adjustment was made for age, gestation, parity, family income, education, and body mass index.
Results: Of the 1002 subjects, 256 women had lost one or more teeth. Current light smoking was independently related to an increased prevalence of tooth loss, showing a significant exposure-related association with smoking status. A significant positive association of 8 or more pack-years of smoking with the prevalence of tooth loss was observed. Also, a significant positive relationship was found between current heavy passive smoking at home and tooth loss, but not with pack-years of passive smoking at home. No measurable association between passive smoking exposure at work and tooth loss was indicated.
Conclusions: The present findings suggest that passive as well as active smoking may be associated with an increased prevalence of tooth loss in Japanese young adult women.