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Relationship of Cigarette Smoking to Dental Caries in a Population of Female Inmates

Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury, Connecticut, cheng{at}bop.gov

Victor M. Badner, DMD, MPH

Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx, New York

Katherine D. Freeman, DrPH

Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York

This study investigates the relationship of cigarette smoking to dental caries among female inmates of a federal correctional institution. Two-hundred inmates (age range 19-62) entering the institution were given an oral examination and a self-administered questionnaire. A high percentage, 64%, of inmates were current or former smokers. In the bivariate analyses, tobacco use, as measured by the number of pack-years smoked, was significantly correlated with a higher DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled teeth) index (r = .46, p < .0001). The difference in mean DMFT scores for current smokers and nonsmokers, 12.1 (SD = 7.0) and 10.1 (SD = 7.4), respectively, was significant (p = .02). In the multiple regression analysis, sociodemographic and sociobehavioral risk indicators (age, country of birth, number of pack-years smoked, consumption of coffee or tea with sugar, and the perception of risks of oral cancer from smoking) explained 41% of the variance in the DMFT index. Although this study did not establish a causative relationship, cigarette smoking was shown to be associated with the experience of caries.

Key Words: oral health • dental caries • cigarette smoking • DMFT index • prison health

Journal of Correctional Health Care, Vol. 12, No. 3, 164-174 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1078345806292384


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