As part of a long-term health study, a team led by researchers at the Dunedin School of Medicine in New Zealand followed about 900 people born in 1972 and 1973 to assess the effects of marijuana on periodontal disease.
While it is well known that cigarette smoking and spotty use of dental services are risk factors for gum problems that can lead to inflammation and eventual tooth loss, the role of marijuana alone had not been examined previously.
The researchers divided participants into three groups: About 33 percent did not smoke pot, 47 percent smoked fewer than 40 times per year, and 20 percent smoked more than 41 times per year, beginning at age 18. All had dental checkups at age 26 and 32.
Overall about 42 percent showed some signs of periodontal disease at 32. After controlling for dental checkups, tobacco use and presence of plaque, researchers found that about 24 percent of the heaviest smokers showed some signs of gum problems, compared with 11 percent of infrequent users and 6 percent of those who did not smoke pot. . .
Full Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/15/AR2008021503710.html
