<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Smoking is known to be widely practised by young adults and teenagers, a fact that is of immediate importance to the orthodontic profession as it is now well accepted that smokers have poorer periodontal health than non-smokers. The aim of the present study was to determine the level of smoking in teenage orthodontic patients and compare it with that in the general teenage population and, further, to examine how these smoking habits are influenced by the subjects’ attitudes. Patients were surveyed as to their smoking habits and attitudes. All were between 10 and 18 years of age and undergoing active fixed-appliance therapy. The same survey was distributed to a local primary (elementary) school and local secondary (high) schools. Of the 729 school respondents, 29 per cent were classified as smokers; of the 333 respondents in the orthodontic group, 11 per cent were classified as smokers. Although the level of smoking amongst orthodontic patients appears to be lower than that for the general adolescent population, significant numbers of patients smoke on a regular basis, and a small proportion of these is under l3 years of age. Because they have regular contact over a number of years with their adolescent patients, orthodontists are in a favourable position to reinforce non-smoking behavior.</p>
</abstract>

Smoking is known to be widely practised by young adults and teenagers, a fact that is of immediate importance to the orthodontic profession as it is now well accepted that smokers have poorer periodontal health than non-smokers. The aim of the present study was to determine the level of smoking in teenage orthodontic patients and compare it with that in the general teenage population and, further, to examine how these smoking habits are influenced by the subjects’ attitudes. Patients were surveyed as to their smoking habits and attitudes. All were between 10 and 18 years of age and undergoing active fixed-appliance therapy. The same survey was distributed to a local primary (elementary) school and local secondary (high) schools. Of the 729 school respondents, 29 per cent were classified as smokers; of the 333 respondents in the orthodontic group, 11 per cent were classified as smokers. Although the level of smoking amongst orthodontic patients appears to be lower than that for the general adolescent population, significant numbers of patients smoke on a regular basis, and a small proportion of these is under l3 years of age. Because they have regular contact over a number of years with their adolescent patients, orthodontists are in a favourable position to reinforce non-smoking behavior.

Smoking patterns in adolescent orthodontic patients and school children

Associate staff member, Department of Orthodontics

Australasian Orthodontic Journal

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Smoking patterns in adolescent orthodontic patients and school children"}

Smoking is known to be widely practised by young adults and teenagers, a fact that is of immediate importance to the orthodontic profession as it is now well...

Smoking patterns in adolescent orthodontic patients and school children

Pubblicato online: 13 gen 2024

Pagine: 276 - 283

Ricevuto: 01 dic 1998

Accettato: 01 giu 1999

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoj-1999-0011

Parole chiave
Cigarettes, nicotine, Orthodontics, smoking, tobacco

© 1999 Anthony R. Collett et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Smoking patterns in adolescent orthodontic patients and school children

Pubblicato online: 13 gen 2024

Pagine: 276 - 283

Ricevuto: 01 dic 1998

Accettato: 01 giu 1999

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoj-1999-0011

Parole chiaveCigarettes, nicotine, Orthodontics, smoking, tobacco

© 1999 Anthony R. Collett et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Parole chiave
Cigarettes, nicotine, Orthodontics, smoking, tobacco