Hookah use linked to serious oral conditions

Researchers Link Hookah Use To Serious Oral Conditions.
PRNewswire (10/29) carries a press release on a new study which “found that waterpipe smoking is associated with serious health problems affecting the head and neck region,” according to study author Teja Munshi, BDS, MPH of Rutgers University. Researchers found hookah or “waterpipe smoking to be associated with gum diseases, dry socket, oral cancer and esophageal cancer among other conditions.” The World Health Organization found that “smoking a hookah is the equivalent of smoking 100 cigarettes, based on the duration and number of puffs in a smoking session.” The ADA “has long been a proponent of educating the public about its hazards and has urged for continued research into the adverse health effects of tobacco use.” Additionally, MouthHealthy.org provides information on the dangers of alternative forms of tobacco and an editorial in The Journal of the American Dental Association “warned readers of the potential dangers of e-cigarettes.”