Cleverson O. Silva of the University of Campinas in Sao Paulo, Brazil, tracked 10 smokers and 10 non-smokers for two years to evaluate the effects of cigarette smoke on the long-term outcomes of a treatment to help soft tissue reattach to the root surface of the teeth.

After two years, residual gum recession around the area which received the surgery was greater in smokers as compared to non-smokers, the Journal of Periodontology reported.

Studies have shown that smoking can impair the body’s ability to heal itself immediately after surgery, but this study shows that when a patient has periodontal plastic surgery, smoking can damage the ability of that procedure to stay intact over a long period of time.

"People who smoke and have had some sort of periodontal plastic surgery should be aware of the negative side effects of smoking," Preston D. Miller, Jr., president of the American Academy of Periodontology said in a statement. "It can be costly to have to repeat a surgery because the desirable outcomes might have been undone by smoking."