Health effects of nicotine products on oral tissues: Prevention approaches

The study aimed to analyse the impact of smoking and modern nicotine release systems on the state of the oral cavity, addressing the stratification of risk factors for the development of dental pathologies, determining the possibility of complications and introducing preventive programmes for dentists to minimise the harmful effects of this habit. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar sources were analysed to conduct the research. E-cigarettes, traditional cigarettes and tobacco heating systems were determined to have a negative impact on the oral cavity, causing risks of leukoplakia, gingivitis and periodontal disease. Smoking traditional cigarettes causes significant destructive changes, including deep periodontal pockets (68%), loss of tissue attachment (42%) and gingival leukoplakia (85.1%). E-cigarettes, although less harmful, cause mucosal irritation, and dysbiosis and increase the risk of periodontal disease by 1.43 times compared to non-smokers. Tobacco heating systems show lower toxicity, but the risk of inflammation and tissue destruction remains. The results show that smoking cessation has a positive impact on dental health. A year after smoking cessation, there was a 1.5 mm reduction in the depth of periodontal pockets and a 1.2 mm improvement in tissue attachment. This confirms the importance of combating addiction for the prevention of dental diseases. Recommendations for physicians include history analysis, recording nicotine use patterns, applying the 5A principle of a patient’s tobacco use history, providing cessation information, assessing their readiness to quit, assisting with the cessation process, and providing follow-up support through regular contact. Informing patients about the risks associated with all forms of tobacco and promoting complete cessation should be prioritised. However, if it is not possible to quit smoking, it is necessary to visit the dentist regularly, stop smoking during periodontal disease treatment or dental implants, carefully follow the rules of oral hygiene with the use of rinses and abrasive pastes, and seek professional help in a timely manner. Such measures help reduce the risk of dental pathologies and contribute to the long-term maintenance of oral health