Periodontal health in children exposed to passive smoking.

OBJECTIVE

To determine (1) the cotinine levels of saliva, urine and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of children in families with and without smoking members and (2) a possible association between the periodontal health of the children and exposure to passive smoking.

METHODS

The study population comprised of 109 children in the age range 6-12 years. Children were classified as exposed to passive tobacco smoking (PTS-exposed, n=51) and as unexposed controls (PTS-unexposed, n=58). Plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing, probing depth and clinical attachment level (CAL) were recorded. GCF, saliva and urine samples were also collected. The levels of cotinine in these fluids were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

The mean salivary cotinine concentration was significantly increased in PTS-exposed children compared with PTS-unexposed children (p<0.05). Further, in a dose-dependent way, the mean salivary concentration was significantly higher in children whose father or mother was a smoker (p<0.05) as compared, respectively, with children whose fathers and mothers were non-smokers. The mean CAL was significantly less in PTS-exposed children compared with non-PTS-exposed children (0.09 mm; p<0.05) and also in children whose father was a smoker (p<0.05), but not in children whose mother was a smoker as compared with non-smoker fathers and mothers, respectively. The GCF cotinine levels were below the detection limits with the assay method that was used.

CONCLUSIONS

We have observed that children who are exposed to passive smoking have elevated cotinine levels in their saliva concomitant with a lowered CAL.