Variation in the Changes Induced by Different Forms of Tobacco in Dental Hard Tissues—A SEM-EDAX Study

Objective: Tobacco, which annually kills 4.9 million people worldwide at present, is estimated to take 10 million lives every year by 2020 and India has been cited as the country with highest incidence. Multiple studies have been done to study the effects of tobacco on soft tissue with very few on hard tissues. So, in this study we evaluated the effects of tobacco on teeth by determining the weight % of various ions. Material & Methods: This preliminary study was designed including various categories according to habits. The samples of teeth were analyzed under the advanced SEM-Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays to examine the change in ionic composition of enamel in tobacco users and non-users. Results: Increase in weight % of ions like Sulphur (S), Magnesium (Mg) and Aluminium (Al) was noted depending on the habit. The weight % of these ions was highest in category II with a mixed habit of gutka, kharra, tobacco lime quid and smoking as compared to other groups. The weight % of these ions was also significantly more in category III and IV as compared to category I of unstained teeth. Conclusion: The results showed that there is a chemical alteration induced by tobacco in teeth, i.e., increase in levels of Al, S, Mg. It is postulated that this may result in the increase of these ions in saliva in due course of time. Ions like Al and S are known to make a cell more prone towards carcinogenesis. So, increase in concentration of these ions in saliva may make a cell prone towards carcinogens.