U.S.: Secondhand Smoke May Increase the Risk of Tooth Decay in Children

Introduction: According to reports, Dr. Andrew Aligne of the University of Rochester Center for Child Health Research in New York stated in a report on August 26 that exposure to tobacco smoke can nearly double the likelihood of cavities in children.

China Electronic Cigarette Information reports: Research has found that cigarette smoke can suppress children’s resistance to bacterial infections, making them more prone to colds, earaches, tooth decay, and other illnesses.

Dr. Andrew Aligne of the University of Rochester Center for Child Health Research in New York stated in a report on August 26 that exposure to tobacco smoke can nearly double the likelihood of cavities in children.

The study found that passive exposure to secondhand smoke increases the level of cotinine in children’s blood. This leads to more cavities in both primary and permanent teeth. Cotinine is a byproduct of nicotine. These findings provide new evidence that passive smoking is harmful to children. All children should grow up in a smoke-free environment.

The report was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers studied more than 3,500 children between the ages of 4 and 11. The conclusion was that if smoke were eliminated from children’s surroundings, one-quarter of children could avoid cavities in their baby teeth.

On the other hand, most people already know that eating too many sweets can damage children’s teeth. A certain bacterium, often passed from mother to child through kissing, produces lactic acid in the mouth. This lactic acid erodes teeth. Baby teeth are usually very fragile because their enamel is very thin. Saliva in the mouth can neutralize lactic acid, but passive smoking can cause throat inflammation in children, forcing them to breathe through their mouths and thereby reducing saliva.