Fumo,alcol e salute orale

Objectives

Cigarette smoking, the second cause of death worldwide, and alcohol abuse, a leading cause of mortality and morbidity, are major risk factors for oral diseases. The aim of this paper is to present the effects of cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse on oral health. Specific strategies are also proposed to develop smoking cessation interventions in the office practice of dentists and dental hygienists providing.

Materials and methods

Original papers, reviews and guidelines on this subject, published in English and in Italian from 2006 to the first trimester of 2013, were located in the Medline/Pubmed database. Additional publications were obtained by searching the reference list of retrieved works.

Results and conclusions

Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor for oral squamous cell carcinoma and potentially malignant oral lesions; alcohol abuse increases oral cancer risk in a synergistic fashion. Moreover, cigarette smoking is the second risk factor for chronic periodontitis, after dental plaque, whereas further studies are needed to assess the role of alcohol consumption on onset and progression of chronic periodontitis. The “Five A's” approach represents an effective protocol for smoking cessation that members of dental team can use with all smoker patients. The patients attempting to quit should use the nicotine replacement therapy, sustained-release bupropion or varenicline in order to significantly increase success rate of quit attempt.