Research Article
TheEffectofSmokingonSalivaryCalciumLevels,CalciumIntake,
andBleedingonProbinginFemale
Sri Tjahajawati ,
1
Anggun Rafisa ,
1
andEndahAyuLestari
2
1
Oral Biology Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia
2
School of Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia
Correspondence should be addressed to Sri Tjahajawati; sri.tjahajawati@fkg.unpad.ac.id
Received 4 September 2021; Revised 19 November 2021; Accepted 9 December 2021; Published 18 December 2021
Academic Editor: Boonlert Kukiattrakoon
Copyright©2021SriTjahajawatietal.isisanopenaccessarticledistributedundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionLicense,
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Introduction. Smoking is a bad habit that affects both systemic and oral conditions. Nicotine in cigarettes reduces estrogen
production that can alter salivary calcium levels. Nicotine also causes vasoconstriction of the gingival blood vessels and decreases
gingival bleeding. Low dietary calcium intake is also suspected to influence the low serum calcium levels in smokers. In this study,
we evaluated the effect of smoking on salivary calcium levels, calcium intake, and BOP in women. Method. is was an analytical
study using a cross-sectional approach. e subjects were 26 female smokers and 37 nonsmokers. Unstimulated saliva was
collected by the spitting method. Salivary calcium levels were measured using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS).
e calcium intake was obtained by the Semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire. BOP was measured by a gingival
bleeding index by Ainamo and Bay in 1975. Results. All the basic characteristics including age, BMI, level of education, and
occupation were statistically different between groups. e mean calcium level of female smokers was significantly lower than that
of nonsmokers, whereas the mean BOP of female smokers was significantly higher. e total calcium intake per day of the two
groups was not statistically different. e mean salivary calcium level and BOP decreased when the duration of smoking was
longer. ere was a positive correlation between salivary calcium level and BOP in the smokers’ group. Conclusion. A low level of
education may be contributing to the smoking habit of subjects in this study. Salivary calcium levels were correlated with BOP in
female smokers, which might be affected by the duration of smoking.
1.Introduction
Smoking is no longer identical to only men but becoming
commonplace among women. e number of smokers has
increased recently, despite the decline in smoking prevalence
[1]. A systematic review by Jafari et al. found that 13% of
adult females and 15% of adolescent females were smokers.
e study also discovered a high prevalence of smoking in
pregnant women (21%) [2].
e dangers of smoking can affect anyone, but women
face a greater risk for morbidity and mortality caused by
smoking. Female smokers have a 25% higher risk of heart
disease and lung cancer when compared to male smokers
because women weighed and have blood vessels less than
men [3]. Smoking not only causes a systemic effect but can
also causes physiopathological conditions in the oral cavity
[4]. e heat from burning cigarettes can directly irritate the
oral mucosa, causing damage to the salivary glands, and
results in decreased salivary function [5].
Saliva consists of 99% of water and various electrolytes.
Calcium is one of the inorganic electrolyte components
found in saliva in the form of ions which has a role in body
processes, especially in the oral cavity [6]. A study by Bafghi
et al. in 2015 found a significant decrease in the total average
concentration of protein, calcium, lead, and zinc in smokers
compared to nonsmokers [7]. On the contrary, Abed et al. in
2015 found a significant increase in salivary calcium levels in
smokers [8]. High salivary calcium levels can result in rapid
plaque mineralization, thus accelerating the calculus for-
mation in the oral cavity. Calculus can increase susceptibility
to periodontal disease in the form of attachment loss, pocket
depth, tooth loss, and decreased alveolar bone [9].
Hindawi
International Journal of Dentistry
Volume 2021, Article ID 2221112, 7 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/2221112