title: Salivary calcium concentration and periodontal health of young adults in relation to tobacco smoking.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of tobacco smoking and salivary calcium on the periodontal status of young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plaque index, gingival bleeding on probing, supragingival calculus, DMFT index, salivary flow, pH and salivary calcium in unstimulated salivary samples were recorded in smokers and nonsmokers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between smokers and nonsmokers with respect to salivary flow (P = 0.08) and calcium level (P = 0.09). Significant correlations (P < 0.05) were found between a higher calcium level and higher probing depth (r = 0.60), higher number of teeth with probing depth of more than 4 mm (r = 0.70), greater clinical attachment level (r = 0.49) and lower number of teeth bleeding on probing (r = -0.50).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moderate smoking of tobacco cigarettes in young healthy subjects may not have a significant impact on salivary flow or calcium concentrations in unstimulated saliva, but an association exists between an increased level of salivary calcium and development of periodontal disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sutej
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peros
authors.forename: Anica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benutic
authors.forename: Krunoslav
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Capak
authors.forename: Kresimir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Basic
authors.forename: Kata
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rosin-Grget
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002118:Calcium / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017523:Croatia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult; D014026:Nicotiana
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium