A thin gingival biotype is inherently more vulnerable to surgical trauma, post-restorative margin exposure, and progressive gingival recession.
Conversely, thicker phenotypes offer enhanced structural resilience and more predictable soft-tissue stability.
Understanding the biological and lifestyle factors that alter gingival morphology is essential for accurate risk stratification prior to initiating complex therapeutic workflows.
Published in the Journal of Pharmacy & Bioallied Sciences, this comparative clinical pilot study evaluates the specific influence of cigarette smoking and nicotine exposure on gingival thickness in systemically healthy individuals.
By assessing periodontally healthy smokers and non-smokers across multiple age cohorts (18–25, 26–39, and >40 years), the authors analyzed midbuccal attached gingival dimensions in the anterior maxilla using standardized transgingival probing.
The investigation highlights how smoking and age-related changes significantly alter mucosal dimensions, emphasizing that chronic exposure to nicotine and tobacco by-products influences the physical and functional properties of the periodontium.
For periodontists, oral surgeons, and restorative clinicians, this research provides crucial evidence-based insights to fine-tune surgical flap design, optimize aesthetic crown margins, and anticipate soft-tissue healing dynamics in smoking patients.
📖 Read or Download the Full Publication
Ready to analyze the clinical data, age-stratified comparative measurements, and the biological impact of nicotine on soft-tissue architecture?
👉 Click here to read the full article PDF: Effect of Nicotine on the Thickness of Gingiva: A Pilot Study.
