Evaluation of oral changes in hookah users: an integrative review

Abstract

Introduction: The use of a hookah to smoke tobacco or other herbs has grown worldwide, especially among young people. There is concern regarding the consequences of exposure to the smoke of this waterpipe. Objective: Therefore, this study evaluated the main oral changes observed in hookah users. Methodology: For this integrative review, searches were performed in the PubMed (National Library of Medicine – National Institutes of Health), LILACS (Literatura Latino Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde), and SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online) databases using terms in Portuguese (“Câncer de boca”, “Saúde”, “Bucal”, “Lesões orais”, “Shisha”, “Narguilé” and “Oral”) and English (“Hookah”, “Changes”, “Oral”, “Effects”, “Smokers”, “Cells”, “Buccal cells”, “Waterpipe”, “Periodontal”, “Tooth loss” and “Dry socket”). Articles were selected according to the following inclusion criteria: original articles whose full text was available; articles published in English or Portuguese, and articles comprising the last 20 years (2001 to 2023). Results: The searches retrieved 283 articles. After reading the titles and abstracts, 13 articles met the research objectives and were included in the review. The results showed that hookah use is a risk factor for different changes in the oral cavity, including cytological atypia, periodontal diseases, postextraction dry socket, and oral microbiota alterations. Conclusion: Hookah smoking represents an oral health risk that favors the development of different oral changes.

Keywords: mouth; smoking water pipes; tobacco use; oral pathology.