Prevalence of tobacco-associated oral mucosal lesion in Hazaribagh population: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Smoking and chewing tobacco carry significant risks for the development of oral cancer and premalignant lesions. The present study was conducted to find the prevalence of tobacco-related habits in Hazaribagh population and its association with oral mucosal lesion. Methodology: The present study was carried out on patients who visited the Department of Oral Medicine And Radiology, Hazaribagh College of Dental Sciences And Hospital. A total of 5,000 subjects were screened for tobacco-related habits and associated mucosal changes. Detailed clinical history about tobacco-related habits was obtained. Oral mucosal lesions were screened using the WHO format for diagnosis of oral lesions. The findings were tabulated and analyzed statistically. Results: Of the 5,000 subjects enrolled for the study, 1,085 (21.7%) used tobacco in some forms. Habit of smoking tobacco was present among 273 (25.2%) and using smokeless tobacco among 811 (74.7%) individuals. Tobacco pouch keratosis (46.1%) was found to be most common lesion, followed by oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) (16.1%), lichenoid reaction (14.1%), smokers palate/melanosis (12.2%), leukoplakia (7.2%), erythroplakia (2.3%), and oral cancer in (2%). Conclusion: The results provide insight into prevalent tobacco habits and associated oral mucosal lesions in Hazaribagh population. These may act as baseline data for the formulation of preventive programs and help future studies explore the prevalence of tobacco-associated lesions in vulnerable populations. Current knowledge, including findings from the present study, about the prevalence of tobacco use and various oral lesions associated with it may help primary health care physicians to promote among patients visiting them the awareness about the adverse effects of tobacco consumption and treatment options available for tobacco-related lesions at the early stage.