# Selected Population-based Oral Health Assessment Following Usage of E-Cigarettes and Combustible Cigarettes

**Authors:** Xiao Li, Jilong Liu, Dong Yang, Duo Wang, Qiulin Yue, Song Zhang, Jing Xu, Xingtao Jiang, Qun Su, Lei Sun, Baojun Li, Kunlun Li, Le Su, Lin Zhao

PMC · DOI: 10.3290/j.ohpd.c_2292 · 2025-11-12

## TL;DR

This study compares oral health effects of e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes in Chinese men, finding worse outcomes in cigarette smokers.

## Contribution

The study provides new empirical evidence on oral health differences between e-cigarette users, cigarette smokers, and non-smokers in a specific demographic.

## Key findings

- Traditional cigarette smokers had significantly worse bleeding on probing and clinical attachment loss compared to e-cigarette users and non-smokers.
- Cigarette smokers showed higher probing depths and elevated levels of IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β in saliva compared to e-cigarette users and non-smokers.

## Abstract

To compare oral health following e-cigarette and cigarette use in a Chinese male population.

In this study, we selected 83 adult Chinese males aged between 18-35 years of age, including 31 regular traditional cigarette smokers, 20 regular e-cigarette users, and 32 never-smokers and never-vapers. Their clinical periodontal indicators (bleeding on probing, probing depth, clinical attachment loss) and salivary levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-1β and cotinine were measured and compared.

In this selected population, traditional cigarette smokers (CS) had statistically significantly higher bleeding on probing and clinical attachment loss than did ES and NS. The probing depths and IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β levels were statistically significantly higher in CS than in e-cigarette users (ES) and never-smokers (NS).

This study demonstrated that the oral health status of CS was worse than that of NS and ES in adult males aged 18–35 years.

## Linked entities

- **Proteins:** IL6 (interleukin 6), CXCL8 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8), IL1B (interleukin 1 beta)
- **Chemicals:** cotinine (PubChem CID 408)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (taxon 9606)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** CXCL8 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8) [NCBI Gene 3576] {aka GCP-1, GCP1, IL8, LECT, LUCT, LYNAP}, IL6 (interleukin 6) [NCBI Gene 3569] {aka BSF-2, BSF2, CDF, HGF, HSF, IFN-beta-2}, IL1B (interleukin 1 beta) [NCBI Gene 3553] {aka IL-1, IL1-BETA, IL1F2, IL1beta}
- **Diseases:** bleeding (MESH:D006470), attachment loss (MESH:D017622)
- **Chemicals:** cotinine (MESH:D003367)

## Figures

3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12628003/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12628003