Influence of Smoking on the Stomatognathic System in Women With Diabetes

OBJECTIVE OF INVESTIGATION: To check the influence of smoking on stmatognathic system in women with diabetes. Diabetes is a methabolic disease that occurs as a result of disorderes in creation or secretion of insulin or its effect. On a weakened organism smoking will probably do more harm on the stomatognathic system than on a healthy one. METHODS: Women with confirmed diagnosis of diabetes (N=90) were devided in 2 groups: fertile women (N=51) and women in menopause and postmenopause (N=39). All women have completed the given paper forms considering general data and their smoking habits. A clinical examination was performed using a stomatological mirror and a parodontal probe. Clinical findings of the dental status, gingiva, parodontal tissue (bleeding sulcus indeks and depth of parodontal pockets) and the status of oral muscosa were valued. RESULTS: Smoking has not shown statistically significant influence on the dental status neither on fertile women nor on women in menopause and postmenopause (p>0, 05). Clinical findings of the gingiva and parodontal tissue have shown a statistically significant difference on women in menopause and postmenopause (*p 0, 05). Clinical findings of oral muscosa were only analyzed in the age group of menopause and postmenopause. The difference was statistically significant (*p<0, 05). In the group of fertile women analysis was not performed due to the small number of specimens. CONCLUSION: Weakened immunological system due to sinergistic influence of diabetes, smoking and the lack of feminine sex hormones (in menopause and postmenopause) significantly damages oral muscosa, gingiva and parodontal tissue. The probable explanation was their firm correlation especially through-out the blood circulation with the other parts of the organism. Smoking has not significantly influenced the hard dental tissue probably because of their inorganic origin and the compactness in build.