Sometimes I feel like I repeat myself on this blog. It seems like I'm always saying smoking is bad for you. Then I describe a study which tells the world that smoking is bad for you. Despite this, people still smoke. It's one of the great mysteries of the world. Why would someone smoke something that provides absolutely no physical or financial benefit. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Smoking causes so many horrific diseases and costs a ton of money.
Here's another one about periodontal disease out of India. It was published in Community of Dental Health in March 2011;28(1)89-94, by Bhagyajyothi and Pushpanjali and is titled "Assessment and comparison of periodontal status among young smokers and nonsmokers of Bangalore, India -- a cross sectional study". Okay, first of all, what is periodontal disease. We're talking the gums here. You see, there isn't supposed to be any gaps or pockets around your tooth. The gums are supposed to be snug up against the enamel. The bigger the gap or pocket, the worst periodontal disease you have. This can lead to tooth decay, abscesses, systemic infections and heart disease.
The pockets around the teeth should be 3 mm or less, according to my dentist. Anything greater than or equal to 4 mm's is bad. This study in India, looked at 1,081 men between the ages of 20 and 35. They all worked at the same factory and had access to two medical centers which were actually located on the factory campus. So all things being equal, who do you think had the worst periodontal disease - the male smokers at the factory or the male nonsmokers at the factory?
You're a genius. You guessed it on the first try! The smokers had the worst periodontal disease. Smokers had eight times the risk for having pockets measuring at least 4 mm and five times the risk for losing attachment. The researchers concluded that the extent and severity of the gum disease was directly related to the number of cigarettes smoked and how long they had smoked.
Maybe some day I'll find a study that says smoking is good for you. But until then, I'll keep bringing these studies to your attention. Perhaps one of them will resonate with you and make you think about quitting smoking. We can only hope.
