title: Secondhand smoke and periodontal disease: atherosclerosis risk in communities study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the relationship between secondhand smoke and periodontal disease in nonsmokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We undertook a cross-sectional analysis of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study with 2739 lifetime nonsmokers aged 53-74 years, unexposed to other sources of tobacco, who received a complete periodontal examination at visit 4. Exposure was reported as average hours per week in close contact with a smoker in the preceding year. We defined severe periodontitis as 5 or more periodontal sites with probing pocket depth of 5 millimeters or more and clinical attachment levels of 3 millimeters or more in those sites. Other outcomes were extent of periodontal probing depths of 4 millimeters or more and extent of clinical attachment levels of 3 millimeters or more.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a binary logistic regression model, adjusted odds of severe periodontitis for those exposed to secondhand smoke 1 to 25 hours per week increased 29% (95% confidence interval = 1.0, 1.7); for those exposed to secondhand smoke 26 hours per week, the odds were twice as high (95% confidence interval = 1.2, 3.4) as for those who were unexposed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure to secondhand smoke and severe periodontitis among nonsmokers had a dose-dependent relationship.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Ecology, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. anne_sanders@dentistry.unc.edu
authors.forename: Anne E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Gary D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Slade
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Helga
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Agústsdóttir
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D044469:Racial Groups; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution