Comparison of oral health habits in smoking and non-smoking individuals

Objectives: To compare the oral health of smokers and non-smokers and to establish the relationship between oral hygiene habits andsmoking. Methods: Two hundred questionnaires were given to university students of the Business School of Positivo University (Curitiba, PR, Brazil). The answers were separated into two groups: smokers and non-smokers. The results were statistically analyzed with a significance level of 0.05. Results: The questionnaires were answered by 83% of the students; 51.2% were women and 48.8% were men. From the total of respondents, 137 were non-smokers. Of the eight questions, only two (frequency and time of toothbrushing) showed statistical differences between the two groups. The use of floss, mouthwashes, frequency of dental visits and perception of gingival bleeding did not show any differences between the groups. Conclusion: The smokers were more negligent to frequency and time of toothbrushing.