Tobacco exposure increases children's risk of cavities.

Children exposed to tobacco smoke may be at increased risk of developing cavities, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers from the Center for Child Health Research of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, reviewed federal health data on more than 3,500 children age 4 to 11. The children had complete dental examinations and blood tests for cotinine, a byproduct created when the body breaks down nicotine. The researchers found that children with high cotinine levels in their blood were more likely to have cavities than children with low cotinine levels.