Association of second-hand smoke exposure, quantified by salivary cotinine, with dental caries in Japanese adolescents.

Purpose: Second-hand smoke has adverse effects on oral health. This cohort study used a multilevel approach to investigate the association of second-hand smoke exposure, as determined by salivary cotinine level, with dental caries in adolescents.

Methods: Data from 75 adolescents aged 11 or 12 years and 2,061 teeth without dental caries were analyzed in this study.