title: [Tobacco, snuff and oral health].
abstract: Smoking is estimated to cause 6.3 million deaths annually worldwide. The use of snuff, differing from smoking, has significantly increased especially among the adolescents. Snuff powder contains 20-fold more nicotine compared to cigarettes, leading to strong nicotine addiction. In addition to cancer development, both smoking and snuff use exert other risks for oral health. Compared with non-smokers, smokers are at a 10-fold risk for the development and progression of periodontal diseases. Snuff causes oral mucosal changes, gingival recessions and root surface caries. Smoking induces systemic low-grade inflammation, which weakens defensive immune responses in oral mucosa, gingiva, gingival crevicular fluid and saliva.
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Heikkinen
authors.forename: Jukka H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Meurman
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sorsa
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality*; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless / Q000009:adverse effects*