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Periodontal diseases are one of the common oral diseases of mankind. With the new achievement in Periodontal Medicine, the association between periodontal disease and systemic health, screening of periodontal disease has become an important task. Cigarette smoking is a well established risk factor for periodontal disease. Periodontal Screening and Recording (PSR) Index has been used as a reliable, and reproducible index for screening purpose.

Aims: to compare the periodontal status among the smokers and non-smokers of rural Nepal using the PSR index

Materials and methods: 310 males (150 smokers and 160 non-smokers) were enrolled in the study. Periodontal status was recorded in each sextant of all the subjects using PSR index and was compared between the smokers and non-smokers. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS 10.0. Z- Test was employed to check significance between proportions of group.

Results: When compared between the smokers and non-smokers, number of healthy sextants was lower in smokers than non smokers (10% Vs 11%), and the sextant with mild bleeding on probing was almost similar (14.11% Vs 14.37%). The proportions of sextant with bleeding on probing with supra or subgingival calculus and/or defective margin were similar to both the groups. Sextants having probing depth of 3.5mm to 5.5 mm were significantly higher in smokers than non smokers (P= 0.0001). Similarly, sextants with probing depth greater than 5.5 mm and with advanced periodontal destructions were significantly higher among the smokers than the non smokers (38% Vs 25 % and 14 Vs 3 respectively).

Conclusion: Prevalence of periodontal disease is higher among the smokers than non smokers.

Periodontal disease, Screening, Recording, Prevalence, Smokers, Non-smokers