Not only Cigarettes Damage Your Teeth but Hookahs too

Published on June 12, 2009 10:44 AM

The previous studies showed that water pipes are safer than cigarettes. But a recent research found that hookah pipes are just as bad for teeth and gums as cigarettes.

Water pipes are used by all people and more by non-smokers. Hookahs have long been used for smoking tobacco in the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Asia. Hookah lounges are also becoming increasingly popular in the US and other countries. The pipes consist of a long tube attached to a glass or plastic container that holds water in its base.

Tobacco which is used in hookahs is flavored with fruits and sugar syrup, and is burnt using charcoal. Because the smoke passes through the water before the smoker inhales it, water pipes are believed by some to filter out the harmful substances in tobacco smoke.

Nevertheless, water pipe smoke contains the same toxins as cigarette smoke. Previous studies have suggested that hookah smoking increases heart rate and blood pressure and diminish lung function.

For to see the water pipes results, a group of researchers studied 262 adults in Saudi Arabia, where hookah smoking is widespread, for to find out if hookahs are as tough on the teeth as cigarettes.
At the end of the study, researchers found that 31 percent smoked water pipes only, while 19 percent smoked only cigarettes. Another 20 percent used both smoking methods, and the rest 30 percent were non-smokers.

The researchers detected that about 20 percent of all study participants had signs of gum disease, which is marked by inflammation and redness in the gums in its earlier stages and later, destruction of the bones and soft tissue supporting the teeth, possibly leading to tooth loss. But while only eight percent of non-smokers had gum disease, 30 percent of water pipe smokers and 24 percent of cigarette smokers were affected.

But after studying the participants’ ages, was found that water pipe smokers were five times more likely to show signs of gum disease than non-smokers.

Researchers concluded that many people are misled in believing that water filters out the toxins and that nicotine is reduced in water pipe smoking. Not only does water pipe smoking include the same substances as cigarette smoke such as carbon monoxide and tar, tobacco used for water pipe smoking contains two to four percent nicotine verses one to three percent for cigarettes.