A study found that smokers had less desirable long term effects following periodontal plastic surgery than non-smokers.

Studies have shown that smoking can impair the body’s ability to heal itself immediately after surgery; this most recent study also showed that when a patient has periodontal plastic surgery, smoking can damage the ability of the procedure to stay intact over a long period of time.

The study followed 10 smokers and 10 non-smokers for two years to evaluate the effects of cigarette smoke on the long term outcome of a treatment to help soft tissue reattach to the root surface of the teeth. After two years, residual gum recession around the area which received the dental surgery was greater in smokers compared to non-smokers.