Prevalence of oral premalignant lesions and conditions in patients with tobacco and tobacco-related habits reporting to a dental institution in Aurangabad

Abstract

Aims: The purpose of this study is to determine, through a questionnaire, the prevalence of oral premalignant lesions and conditions in the population of Aurangabad city, having adverse oral habits of using tobacco and tobacco-related products in various forms, to analyze the adverse health effects of these habits with respect to the duration and frequency of consumption, and to analyze the patient motivation toward the cessation of this habit. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the form of a questionnaire, comprising 13 questions, to gather the sociodemographic data, information on habits of using various forms of tobacco and areca-nut (Q.1-5), symptoms associated with various habits and the treatment taken for the same (Q.6-9), and the attempt toward tobacco cessation (Q.10-13). The subjects who were diagnosed with premalignant lesions or other conditions, based on the clinical examination, underwent this questionnaire survey. Seven hundred and thirty-five subjects were included in this study during a period of 12 months. The obtained data was subjected to statistical analysis using the Epi Info™ 3.5.3. The mean percentage proportion was used for data analysis. Results: The results showed that areca nut was the most popular product among young adults. The survey data suggested that only few of the patients had tried to stop these adverse habits at some point in their lives. The most common reason for this was, advice given by the dentist after the patients were made aware of these lesions. Conclusion: The authors conclude that although the number of cases due to adverse oral habits is rising, if awareness is created by a dentist among such patients, it can bring a ray of hope in changing these malevolent trends.

Keywords

• Areca-nut
• oral premalignant lesion
• tobacco
• tobacco cessation