Cassio Silva, an assistant professor of biomedical sciences in the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry at University of the Pacific, has received an $810,000 grant for a three-year project to study the effects of smoking on oral health.

The grant is funded by the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Project.

Cigarette smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and increases the chances of developing oral diseases including periodontitis, according to Silva. Periodontitis is a serious gum infection that can destroy the bone that supports teeth, leading to loosening or loss of teeth. Periodontitis has also been linked to several systemic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and colorectal cancer.

“I’m going to study the mechanisms that lead to periodontitis and other gum diseases from tobacco use,” Silva said. “It is well understood that people who smoke have a greater chance of developing gum disease. But the mechanisms that lead to periodontitis are not always clear.

“If we can learn more about the behavior, we might be able to block some of the pathways to severe gum disease for people who smoke.”

Nader Nadershahi, dean of the Dugoni School and vice provost of the San Francisco Campus, said Silva’s research is vital because of how important oral health is to overall health.

“We are grateful for this grant to support the continued work of Dr. Silva and the research team,” Nadershahi said. “This work expands our understanding of the impact from smoking and vaping on oral tissues and more importantly, the impact of oral health and oral diseases on our overall health and well-being. We are proud to work with such forward-looking and thoughtful grant funders, partners and collaborators.”

Silva will evaluate the impacts of both conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes, or vaping.

“The idea is for me to compare the two and try to find out which one is more damaging,” he said. “There are not many studies on the impact of vaping because it is relatively new in comparison to conventional cigarettes.”

Silva has previous experience working with the funding agency as a postdoctoral fellow. He said the grant will enable him to put together a strong research team that includes students.

“I am looking at having one dental student who I have worked with before, and will work with a biomedical science faculty member, a clinical faculty from our dental school and a post-doctoral researcher,” Silva said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website also has spotlighted the impact of smoking on oral health.

“Cassio Silva’s research on the cells and molecules activated by cigarette smoke will help us to better understand the pathology of tobacco-related periodontal disease and may raise the possibility of targeting different proteins for treatment of smoking-induced diseases,” said David Ojcius, a professor of biomedical sciences and assistant dean for research.