Repocketing one year after surgery is common. Smoking cessation on the other hand shows us that there is some clinical benefit if the patient stops smoking. Haber and Kent, Haber et al., and Bergstrom et al. showed that the periodontal condition of former smokers was between that of smokers and nonsmokers. About one year after smoking cessation, the gingiva loses the fibrotic, thickened appearance and assumes a normal anatomy. At this time, periodontal status seems to stabilize, and for the majority of patients, attachment loss ceases or dramatically slows.
Cigarette smokers are a high-risk group for periodontitis.
Smoking has to be considered in the diagnosis prognosis and treatment planning of periodontitis patients.