The results of a study of the properties of oral fluid in teenagers and young adults who smoke

Abstract

It is known that smoking is one of the current social and medical problems of today, a proven cause of many serious diseases — a risk factor for more than 20 diseases, which account for almost 75% of the causes of mortality (cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory, dental, etc.). Ukraine ranks 17th in the world in terms of cigarette consumption. It is worrying that this bad habit is very common among children and adolescents, because adolescence is crucial in terms of worldview, life values, attitudes to bad habits, including smoking. More than 500 000 young people join this bad habit every year. It has been established that the components of tobacco smoke affect the mucous membrane of the oral cavity both directly and indirectly — toxic substances enter the salivary glands with the bloodstream and are excreted with saliva in the oral cavity. Changes in oral fluid may be the first signs of disease caused by a bad habit. Oral fluid can act as a diagnostic indicator that reflects the condition of the organs of the oral cavity and the whole body, as well as to predict the course of the disease, to assess the effectiveness of treatment.

Purpose — to study the properties of oral fluid in in teenagers and young adults who smoke.

Materials and methods. The properties of oral fluid (rate of salivation, pH, buffer capacity and viscosity of oral fluid) in 114 adolescents and adolescents aged 15 to 24 years, which were divided into groups: Group I included 26 people who regularly smoke traditional cigarettes; in group II — 22 people who regularly smoke electronic cigarettes (Weipi); in group III — 23 people who regularly smoke tobacco heating devices (IQOS); in group IV — 43 people, without a bad habit of smoking.

Results. When studying the properties of oral fluid in adolescents and young adults, the dependence of its indicators on the presence of a bad habit and type of smoking was revealed. Adolescents and adolescents who smoke both traditional and alternative types of cigarettes in the oral cavity have a decrease in the level of functional reactions that are responsible for the homeostasis of the oral cavity and depend on the type of cigarettes. Analysis of changes in the biophysical parameters of oral fluid indicate a decrease in the level of functional reserves of the oral cavity.

Conclusions. Тeenagers and young adults who smoke have changes in the biophysical parameters of oral fluid. Oral fluids can be an early prognostic test to assess the condition of the oral cavity in adolescents and adolescents who smoke.

The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies.

No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.