Passive smoke has long been a cause for concern for people of all ages and backgrounds, especially parents with young children. Fear of exposure due to health risks or just because it may incite curiosity in the bad habit has led parents away from many public places where smoking is allowed, and in turn has created many smoke-free environments to promote healthy lungs. A new study reveals that children exposed to cigarette smoke are more likely to develop cavities and tooth decay by the early age of three. Professors Hiroshi Kawakami and Shiro Tanaka of Kyoto University conducted the study, published in the British Medical Journal.
The Study
The team analyzed data taken from 70,920 children born between 2004-2010 in the city of Kobe, Japan, and the results declare that children in a family where there is one or more smoker are twice as likely to develop tooth cavities or tooth decay before the age of three than children with no smokers in the family.
About half of the children in Kobe City, Japan, are exposed to passive smoke from an early age. The study began with a four month old subject whose family contained a smoker, and the child was observed for a period of three years to monitor any tooth decay or loss and treatment, at birth, four months, 9 months, 18 months and finally at three years old. The children attended routine checkups at dental care centers in Kobe.
Questionnaires were given to mothers during these checkups in order to verify exposure to passive smoke during their pregnancy and the first three years of their child’s life, as well as details on their eating habits and oral health.
Declining Oral Health Has A Direct Correlation to Passive Smoke Exposure
The figures reveal that the prevalence of smoking in the household among the families studied was 55.3%, and 6.8% of the families had evidence of exposure to tobacco. In total, 12,729 cases of dental cavities were identified in the children, and most of the infected teeth were decayed. The result showed that exposure to tobacco smoke at four months old have twice as much risk of dental cavities, and that this danger was also associated with those exposed to household smoking, who were identified as being 1.5 times as likely to develop dental cavities.
The statistics on smoking during pregnancy were not conclusive, and no definitive conclusions were drawn about stress. The researchers also note that the incidence of dental cavities could be tied to other factors that were not measured.
Passive Smoke and Household Smoking Must Be Eliminated
The team concludes that exposure to passive smoke at a young age is directly associated with an increased risk of cavities in decaying teeth, and they urge cities to take further measures in decreasing the chance of passive smoke exposure and household smoking exposure to all children in public spaces and homes alike.
