Prevalence Of Oral Mucosal Lesions In Patients Consuming Various Forms Of Tobacco Reporting To A Dental College In Pune, Maharashtra- A Cross-Sectional Study

Research Article
Pallavi S Joglekar., Nivedita N Kaorey., Vikram Garcha. Vineet Vinay and Vittaldas Shetty
DOI: 
xxx-xxxxx-xxxx
Subject: 
science
KeyWords: 
Oral mucosal lesions, smoking, smokeless tobacco habits, prevalence.
Abstract: 

Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of Oral mucosal Lesions (OMLs) in patients consuming tobacco in smoking, smokeless or both forms and to associate their occurrence with the frequency and duration of tobacco consumption. Material and Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 215 patients reporting to a dental college in Pune over a period of 3 months, out of which 163 were males and 52 were females. The patients who gave a history of tobacco use were used as the sample for the study. World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Health Assessment Form for Adults, 2013 and WHO Oral Health Questionnaire for Adults, 2013 and a pre-validated, pre-tested, interviewer-administered recording form along with type 3 clinical examination was employed to gather the required data. Results: Prevalence of Oral mucosal lesions in patients with tobacco-related habits was found to be 53.5%. The study showed leukoplakia (36.7%) to be the most frequently associated oral mucosal lesions with tobacco use followed by ulcers (7.9%), oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) (3.3%), lichen planus (2.8%), malignant condition (1.4%), abscesses (0.9%), and tobacco-induced melanosis (0.5%). Buccal mucosa was observed to be the most commonly associated in the oral cavity for these lesions. Conclusion: The study reinforced the association between tobacco-related habits and prevalence of OMLs this inciting the need for creating awareness among the masses regarding the health hazards caused by this detrimental habit. Efforts should be taken to provide proper counselling, alternate measures, and pharmacological management as a step towards curbing this habit.