title: Assessment of lingual nerve functions after smoking cessation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cigarette smoking is associated with a variety of oral diseases. A previous study showed a reduction of thermal sensitivity in the innervation area of the lingual nerve in smokers possibly caused by a degeneration of thermosensitive receptors as a consequence of smoking. The current study investigates somatosensory changes in ex-smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sensory functions in innervation areas of lingual nerve were investigated in 40 ex-smokers by psychophysical means. Functions of lingual nerve in 40 ex-smokers were compared to those in 40 smokers and 40 non-smokers. Subjects were investigated using quantitative sensory testing (QST, cold and warm detection, thermal sensory limen, heat and cold pain, and mechanical detection).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were found in both groups, ex-smokers and smokers compared to non-smokers. Cold (p < .001), warm (ex-smokers: p < .01; smokers: p < .001) detection thresholds and thermal sensory limen (p < .001) showed significantly lower sensitivity in ex-smokers and smokers in comparison to non-smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lower temperature sensitivity of ex-smokers compared to that in non-smokers indicates a reduction of somatosensory function of the tongue, possibly caused by irreversible nerve degeneration associated with smoking. Influencing factors leading to sensory changes could be modulation of thermo-receptors, demyelination as well as a change of the epithelial structure.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Prosthodontics and Biomaterials, Centre of Implantology , University Hospital Aachen , Aachen , Germany.
authors.forename: Anne Barbara
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Rittich
authors.affiliation: b Department of Health Science and Technology , Aalborg University , Aalborg , Denmark.|c Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology , Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg , Erlangen , Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ellrich
authors.affiliation: d Department of Conservative Dentistry, Periodontology and Preventive Dentistry , University Hospital Aachen , Aachen , Germany.|e Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research , University Hospital Aachen , Aachen , Germany.
authors.forename: Sareh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Said Yekta-Michael
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008036:Lingual Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D013697:Thermosensing; D014059:Tongue / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Smoking cessation; lingual nerve; quantitative sensory testing; somatosensation