Regular use of marijuana (cannabis) in young adulthood is associated with periodontal (gum) disease, according to a study in the February 6 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Periodontal disease is one of the most common chronic diseases in adults, with inflammation that can extend deep into the dental tissues, causing loss of supporting connective tissue and possible loss of teeth. Tobacco smoking is recognized as the primary behavioral risk factor for the condition, and it is thought cannabis smoking may have a similar effect, according to background information in the article.
W. Murray Thomson, Ph.D., of the Dunedin School of Medicine, Dunedin, New Zealand, and colleagues conducted a study to determine whether cannabis smoking is a risk factor for periodontal disease. The study included 903 participants who were born in Dunedin in 1972 and 1973 and assessed periodically: cannabis use was determined at ages 18, 21, 26, and 32 years and dental examinations were conducted at ages 26 and 32 years. The most recent data collection (at age 32 years) was completed in June 2005. Three cannabis exposure groups were determined: no exposure (293 individuals, or 32.3 percent), some exposure (428; 47.4 percent), and high exposure (182; 20.2 percent). Some exposure was defined as an average of 1-40 occasions of cannabis use reported during the years assessed; high exposure as an average of 41 or more occasions of cannabis use during those years.