Smoking's impact on pocket closure after nonsurgical periodontal treatment in relation to bleeding on probing.

The article investigates the impact of smoking on pocket closure six months after nonsurgical periodontal treatment in patients with severe periodontitis, focusing on the role of residual clinical inflammation measured by bleeding on probing (BoP). Analyzing 984 deep periodontal pockets (probing depth ≥ 6 mm) from 46 patients (18 smokers and 28 nonsmokers), the study found that nonsmokers and sites without bleeding at two weeks post-treatment had significantly higher odds of pocket closure at six months. Smoking was strongly associated with impaired healing and persistent inflammation, underscoring the importance of smoking cessation and inflammation control for optimal periodontal treatment outcomes. The findings highlight that early resolution of inflammation after treatment is a key predictor of successful pocket closure, particularly in nonsmokers.