Rajeev Pathak

Tobacco smoking has been found to be a major environmental risk factor associated with generalized form of severe periodontitis in several studies. Smokers are two to seven times more likely to present with periodontitis as compared to the nonsmokers and they are more likely to develop tooth loss during periodontal maintenance as well. Smoking has been established as a salient risk factor for several systemic diseases including lung carcinoma, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. There is an overwhelming evidence that tobacco use produces harmful effect in the mouth ranging from cosmetic issues, such as tooth staining or discoloration to potentially life-threatening illnesses such as oral cancer. Smoking is known to increase the susceptibility of individuals to develop periodontal disease, further causing poorer response to both surgical and nonsurgical periodontal therapies.