Occurrence of gingival bleeding in smoker and non-smoker patients

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Abstract
The objective of the present investigation was to study the influence of cigarette smoking on the occurrence of gingival bleeding. The occurrence of bleeding was evaluated by probing at a standardized pressure of 60 g. The bleeding occurrence of each patient was indicated by the number of sites bleeding on probing as a percentage of the total. Twenty patients with moderate to severe periodontitis, 10 smokers and 10 non-smokers, participated in the study. The smoker patients had been regular smokers for at least 15 years, their present tobacco consumption being 20 cigarettes a day or more. The results showed that, although they had a significantly greater plaque index, smokers displayed a significantly lower bleeding occurrence than non-smokers, the average being 27% and 40%, respectively. The present findings suggest that gingival bleeding as measured by probing with a pressure of 60 g is reduced in smokers with periodontitis.