Abstract
Background and aims. Change in the resting whole-mouth salivary flow rate (SFR) plays a significant role in pathogenesis
of various oral conditions. Factors such as smoking may affect SFR as well as the oral and dental health. The primary
purpose of this study was to determine the effect of smoking on SFR, and oral and dental health.
Materials and methods. One-hundred smokers and 100 non-tobacco users were selected as case and control groups,
respectively. A questionnaire was used to collect the demographic data and smoking habits. A previously used questionnaire
about dry mouth was also employed. Then, after a careful oral examination, subjects’ whole saliva was collected in the resting
condition. Data was analyzed by chi-square test using SPSS 15.
Results. The mean (±SD) salivary flow rate were 0.38 (± 0.13) ml/min in smokers and 0.56 (± 0.16) ml/min in nonsmokers.
The difference was statistically significant (P=0.00001). Also, 39% of smokers and 12% of non-smokers reported
experiencing at least one xerostomia symptom, with statistically significant difference between groups (p=0.0001). Oral
lesions including cervical caries, gingivitis, tooth mobility, calculus and halitosis were significantly higher in smokers.
Conclusion. Our findings indicated that long-term smoking would significantly reduce SFR and increase oral and dental
disorders associated with dry mouth, especially cervical caries, gingivitis, tooth mobility, calculus, and halitosis.