title: Flawed oral health of a non-smoking adolescent suggests smoking in adulthood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Smokers often have oral health problems. We studied whether poor oral health among non-smoking adolescents is connected to smoking behaviour in adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used an age cohort born in 1979 (n = 2582) taking part in annual oral health check-ups between the ages of 13 and 15. Self-reported non-smokers were used as the study population. As measures we used decayed, missing or filled teeth/surfaces (DMF) and decayed teeth (D) and smoking behaviour at ages 13-15 and the depending measure was smoking behaviour at the age of 29.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Those who were non-smokers at ages 13-15 and had tooth decay (D > 0) in an oral check-up during that period had higher risk (OR (Odds Ratio) 1.88, 95% confidence interval 1.2-2.9) of being a smoker by age 29. Tooth decay at age 15 predicted earlier onset of smoking for those, who became smokers later in life. Dental caries (DMF > 0) was not associated with higher risk of becoming a smoking adult, but those with dental caries at age 13 were more likely to start smoking earlier.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poorer dental health, especially tooth decay in adolescence is a possible indicator of a greater likelihood of transforming from being a non-smoker to a smoker. Dentists should notice this for allocated health promotion.
authors.affiliation: 1 JYTA, Tunkkari Health Care Center, Veteli, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland antti.j.saari@uta.fi.
authors.forename: Antti J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Saari
authors.affiliation: 2 Director of Social and Health Services, City of Vaasa, Finland.
authors.forename: Jukka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kentala
authors.affiliation: 3 Center of General Practice, Pirkanmaa Hospital District, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Kari J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Mattila
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009909:Oral Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires