Effect of passive smoking on tooth development of children and some related salivary biomarkers

Background Secondhand tobacco exposure, also known as passive smoking, has emerged as a substantial public health issue due to its adverse effects on various aspects of health, particularly among vulnerable populations such as children. Aim To assess the impact of passive smoking on the tooth development of children and investigate some salivary biomarkers. Patients and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 54 children aged 5–10 years, all from smoking households, to assess the impact of passive smoking on dental development and related salivary biomarkers. The children were divided into four exposure groups based on the number of cigarettes smoked in their household: high, medium, low, and normal (nonexposed). Dental development was evaluated using Willems’s method to estimate dental age. Saliva samples were collected from all patients to measure salivary cotinine, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), nitric oxide, and pH. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the data. Results There was a significant difference in the mean dental age and chronological age across all groups. A significant positive correlation between salivary cotinine levels and nitric oxide levels, while no significant correlation between salivary cotinine levels and salivary TAC levels or pH. The highest salivary cotinine and nitric oxide levels were observed in the high exposure group, while this group also had significantly lower levels of salivary TAC and pH. Conclusion Passive smoking groups exhibited significantly higher salivary cotinine and nitric oxide levels compared to the control group, salivary pH was significantly lower in passive smoking groups.