Prevalencia de tabaquismo como factor de riesgo en pacientes con enfermedad periodontal

Smoking is a chronic non-communicable disease, belonging to the group of addictions, with possibilities of treatment and  cure that has repercussions on the general and oral health of the person who suffers from it. The literature exposes various studies reporting the association of smoking as a risk factor in patients with periodontal disease. Objective: To assess the prevalence of smoking as a risk factor in patients with periodontal disease. Materials and methods: Retrospective documentary  descriptive research, with a sample consisting 2722 clinical records (HC) of patients treated in the Department of Periodonto logy at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Los Andes, Merida - Venezuela, over a period of 10 years (2009 - 2019). The  data collected was reflected in the instrument designed for this purpose, and later the analysis of secondary data was  applied through statistical frequency tables. Results: 49.4% of the HC of the patients were smokers, of which 30.8% were  associated with patients suffering from periodontitis with high nicotine dependence (35.6%). Conclusion: The data obtained  allowed determining a high prevalence of smoking as a risk factor in patients with periodontal disease.