Smoking and periodontal disease. A review of the literature.

The literature related to smoking and periodontal disease is reviewed. The effects of smoking on oral hygiene, gingivitis, necrotizing gingivitis, periodontitis, bacteria and the host's response are presented. From this review it is apparent that while the relationship between smoking and periodontal disease needs further study, smoking is detrimental to periodontal health as it worsens the oral hygiene status and depresses the host's defense posture.