Introduction:
Adverse effects of smoking on oral health are well documented including periodontal diseases and mucosal lesions. However, its effect on dental caries experience is not well researched yet. The study aimed to evaluate the association between smoking and Decayed-Missing-Filled Teeth (DMFT) scores among dental visitors in Armenia, a country with one of the highest male smoking prevalence in Europe (51.5% in 2016).

Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional study among adult visitors of dental clinics who had 18 and more uncrowned teeth. The data collection included self-administered survey on potential risk factors and clinical observation of dental caries using DMFT Index Form. We used multivariable linear regression to find the adjusted association between the study variables.

Results:
Overall, 423 participants from Yerevan (capital city) and Gyumri (second largest city) participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 31 years old (SD=9.7) and the majority were women (63.0%). The prevalence of smokers was 24% (males 57.1%, females 3.8%). The mean DMFT score was 11.9 (SD=3.7), with a higher score among smokers (12.3 vs 11.9). After adjusting for age, plaque, decayed and filled teeth scores smoking was significantly associated with a higher missing teeth score (β=0.39, p=0.024).

Conclusion:
This study confirms the association between smoking and oral health. These findings should be considered for health promotion interventions and for future studies to explore the mechanism of such a relationship.