Design and Realization of a Novel Programmable Tobacco Smoking Simulator

Cigarette smoke significantly impacts teeth and dental composites, making smoking simulators vital for studying discoloration, staining, surface roughness, and topography. Conventional simulators face challenges such as incomplete process simulation, inadequate smoke exposure unit design, and improper specimen positioning. This study presents a novel, accurate, and automatic tobacco smoking simulator addressing these issues. The simulator includes a life-sized artificial mouth unit, 3D-printed jaw models for natural dental sample positioning, a vacuum system to simulate positive/negative pressure, and a reprogrammable microcontroller for customizable smoking profiles. Tested with 140 cigarettes over 14 days, the system effectively demonstrated color changes in dental materials. Adjustable parameters such as puff volume, inhalation/exhalation time, smoke density, and smoking speed allow replication of low, moderate, and high-intensity smoking profiles. Portable, low-cost, and versatile, the simulator provides a robust solution for research and education, enabling investigations into the effects of smoke on teeth and dental materials under realistic conditions.