Prevalence of Bleeding on Probing between Smokers and Non-Smokers

Abstract

Gingivitis and periodontitis are the two most common diseases affecting the periodontal tissues. The main etiological factor for these two diseases are microorganisms in the plaque. Various risk factors increase the susceptibility of an individual for these two diseases. Smoking is one of the common risk factors that facilitates development  and progression of periodontal diseases. Bleeding  on probing is a sensitive indicator of early periodontal diseases. It is an important diagnostic tool and clinical sign which indicates periodontal condition and disease progression. Smoking habit by itself can influence the vascular changes in the gingival tissues. Hence, the aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of bleeding on probing between smokers and non-smokers. Data were collected from the dental records of the patients attending Saveetha Dental College, Chennai. The data was extracted, organised and analysed using SPSS software. From the present study it can be concluded that Association between smoking status and bleeding on probing was statistically significant (p-value: 0.005). Also, there was a statistically significant association between the prevalence rate of bleeding on probing in different age groups and gender among the selected population (p-value: 0.000). Bleeding on probing was more prevalent among the smokers than the non-smokers and it was highly noted in patients in the age group of 26 to 35 years and mostly present in males than females.