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Excerpts from: Smoking linked to cavities in kids

From the Science & Technology Desk  UPI [03/11/03]
 
ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 11 (UPI) -- Young children exposed to secondhand smoke appear to have a greater risk of developing cavities and tooth decay, a study released Tuesday suggests.

Researchers led by Dr. C. Andrew Aligne, a pediatrician formerly with the University of Rochester and now the founder of Pediathink, a research consulting firm in Rochester, N.Y., examined the connection between secondhand smoke and oral health problems.

The team used data collected from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which was collected from 1988 to 1994. Information on 3,531 children, ages 4 to 11, were analyzed, including blood level measurements of cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine that serves as a marker for environmental tobacco smoke exposure.

As reported in the March 12 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association, study results showed 25 percent of the children had at least one unfilled decayed tooth surface or cavity and 33 percent of the kids had at least one tooth filling, indicating a prior history of cavities. . .

"Passive smoking is known to cause so many health problems in kids, some that are related to cavities," Aligne told United Press International. "It's probably not that cotinine in and of itself in your blood is causing cavities."

Instead, secondhand smoke might cause children to breathe through their mouths more, creating dry mouth. Saliva protects the teeth from decay so dry mouth could increase the risk of cavities, Aligne explained. He added secondhand smoke exposure also might suppress children's immune systems, making them more vulnerable to illness, even oral health illness.