The Frequency of Posterior Teeth Decay in Smokeless Tobacco Users in the South of Iran

Tobacco has been reported to have multiple negative effects on oral health. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of posterior teeth decay due to smokeless tobacco (ST).

This cross-sectional study included consistent nas and tanbak users for more than 2 years in Bandar Abbas, Iran in 2018-2019. General characteristics, including age, gender, education, occupation, income, residence, the number of family members, and smoking status, as well as the duration of ST use, the use of mouth wash, and the frequency of using dental floss and toothbrush, were recorded based on the study aim. All patients underwent complete oral examination and posterior teeth decay was noted based on the results. The surface of teeth with decay (lingual, buccal, mesial, distal, and occlusal) was recorded as well.

From 150 patients evaluated in this study with a mean age of 37.95±12.02 years, 136 (90.7%) cases were males. Posterior teeth decay was found in 135 patients (90%). The mean number of decayed posterior teeth was 3.37±2.58. The highest decayed tooth surface was the mesial surface (78.7%), followed by the occlusal (77.3%) and the distal (76.7%) surfaces. The binary logistic regression model revealed that the odds of posterior teeth decay were approximately 4-folds higher in employed participants compared to the unemployed ones (OR=4.29, 95% CI: 1.19-15.49, P=0.026). Overall, occupation, income, duration of ST use, number of family members, and dental floss use were able to predict posterior teeth decay with an area under the ROC curve of 0.787 (95% CI: 0.671-0.902, P<0.001), the sensitivity of 85.9%, and specificity of 60%.

A very high frequency of posterior teeth decay was observed in patients with≥2 years of ST use. Posterior teeth decay appears to be affected by a combination of factors such as occupation, income, duration of ST use, number of family members, and the use of dental floss.