Cannabis use and destructive periodontal diseases among adolescents

Lopez R, Baelum V. Cannabis use and destructive periodontal diseases among adolescents. J Clin Periodontol 2009; 36: 185-189. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-051X.2008.01364. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the association between cannabis use and destructive periodontal disease among adolescents. Data from a population screening examination carried out among Chilean high school students from the Province of Santiago were used to determine whether there was an association between the use of cannabis and signs of periodontal diseases as defined by (1) the presence of necrotizing ulcerative gingival (NUG) lesions or (2) the presence of clinical attachment loss (CAL) >= 3 mm. The cannabis exposures variables considered were Ever use of cannabis (yes/no) and Regular use of cannabis (yes/no). The associations were investigated using multiple logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, gender, paternal income, paternal education, frequency of tooth-brushing and time since last dental visit. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that Ever use of cannabis was significantly negatively associated with the presence of NUG lesions (OR=0.47 [0.2;0.9]) among non-smokers only. No significant associations were observed between the presence of CAL >= 3 mm and cannabis use in either of the smoking groups. There was no evidence to suggest that the use of cannabis is positively associated with periodontal diseases in this adolescent population.