title: Occurrence of gingival bleeding in smoker and non-smoker patients.
abstract: The objective of the present investigation was to study the influence of cigarette smoking on the occurrence of gingival bleeding. The occurrence of bleeding was evaluated by probing at a standardized pressure of 60 g. The bleeding occurrence of each patient was indicated by the number of sites bleeding on probing as a percentage of the total. Twenty patients with moderate to severe periodontitis, 10 smokers and 10 non-smokers, participated in the study. The smoker patients had been regular smokers for at least 15 years, their present tobacco consumption being 20 cigarettes a day or more. The results showed that, although they had a significantly greater plaque index, smokers displayed a significantly lower bleeding occurrence than non-smokers, the average being 27% and 40%, respectively. The present findings suggest that gingival bleeding as measured by probing with a pressure of 60 g is reduced in smokers with periodontitis.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006472:Oral Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000473:pathology; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D012907:Smoking