PASSIVE smoking can make you lose your teeth

Medics have long warned of the link between cigarettes and gum disease.

But it seems passive smoking is also a risk – with those who breathe in second-hand fumes 62 per cent more likely to have unhealthy gums than those who don't.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina analysed the medical records of more than 3,000 20-year-olds who didn't smoke.

The volunteers underwent oral examinations and gave blood samples as part of the American National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2012. 

Scientists found that 57 per cent were exposed to the smoke of others while just under a third had gum problems – which have potentially serious consequences.

Gum disease is a very common condition where the gums become swollen, sore or infected and the NHS estimate more than half of all adults in the UK are affected to some degree and most people experience it at least once. 

The condition causes the gums to recede, thereby weakening support for teeth. It is one of the leading causes of tooth loss among adults. 

The new study is the first to link passive smoking with the disease in non-smokers. 

Dr Aderonke Akinkugbe told the International Association for Dental Research that the link with passive smoking was 'significant'.

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