Effect of smoking cessation on non-surgical periodontal therapy: results after 24 months

Aim The aim of this 24‐month prospective study was to assess the effect of smoking cessation on non‐surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) in adult subjects with chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods Relative to a previous 12‐month follow‐up study, recruitment and follow‐up period were extended, resulting in 116 eligible among the 286 screened subjects. They received NSPT and concurrent smoking cessation interventions. Periodontal maintenance was performed every 3 months. A calibrated examiner, blinded to smoking status, performed full‐mouth periodontal examination in six sites per tooth at baseline, 3, 12 and 24 months of follow‐up. Expired air carbon monoxide concentration measurements and interviews were performed to gather demographic and behavioural information. Results From the 116 enrolled subjects, 61 remained up to 24 months of follow‐up. Of these, 18 quit smoking (Q), 32 continued smoking (NQ) and 11 oscillated (O) at 24 months of follow‐up. Thereby, Q showed significantly higher mean CAL gain in diseased sites and higher reduction in the proportion of sites with CAL ≥ 3 mm, when compared to NQ. In addition, Q presented significantly higher mean probing depth reduction relative to NQ(p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion Smoking cessation promoted additional benefits on NSPT in chronic periodontitis subjects.