Association between smoking behavior and oral health problems: A national cross-sectional study in Korea
Introduction Smoking is a risk factor that significantly affects general and oral health by altering the oral environment, increasing plague build-up, and reducing blood flow in the gums, leading to tooth decay and periodontal disease. Therefore, this study investigated the association between smoki...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
European Publishing
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Tobacco Induced Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.org/Association-between-smoking-behavior-and-oral-health-problems-A-national-cross-sectional,200693,0,2.html |
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| Summary: | Introduction
Smoking is a risk factor that significantly affects general and oral health
by altering the oral environment, increasing plague build-up, and reducing blood
flow in the gums, leading to tooth decay and periodontal disease. Therefore, this
study investigated the association between smoking behaviors, such as smoking
duration and cessation, and oral health problems.
Methods
This study analyzed a secondary dataset of the Korea National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (2019–2021) that included 6150 men and 7574
women. Individuals were classified as current smokers if they were currently
smoking regular cigarettes, heated tobacco products, or electronic cigarettes. Oral
health problems included toothaches and chewing difficulties. Multiple logistic
regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence
intervals (CIs) for the association between smoking behavior and oral health
problems.
Results
Among participants of both sexes, current smokers had more oral health
problems compared with non-smokers (men, AOR=1.60; 95% CI: 1.35–1.89;
women, AOR=1.91; 95% CI: 1.33–2.71), as did ex-smokers (men, AOR=1.39;
95% CI: 1.18–1.63; women, AOR=1.47; 95% CI: 1.18–1.83). The longer the
smoking cessation period, the lower was the prevalence of oral health problems.
Additionally, high pack-years were associated with oral health issues. Regular
cigarettes were more likely to cause problems than e-cigarettes (men, AOR=1.56;
95% CI: 1.31–1.86; women, AOR=1.96; 95% CI: 1.53–2.52), while vaping (men,
AOR=1.36; 95% CI: 1.05–1.74; women, AOR=1.64; 95% CI: 1.06–2.53) and dual
smoking (men, AOR=1.57; 95% CI: 1.14–2.16; women, AOR=1.97; 95% CI: 1.10–
3.50) were also associated with oral health issues.
Conclusions
This study confirmed that smoking is strongly associated with oral
health problems. Public health efforts should focus on prevention and tailored
interventions to support quitting and improve oral health outcomes in both
current and ex-smokers. |
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| ISSN: | 1617-9625 |