Effects of tobacco chewing on oral health status of patients visiting university college of dentistry, Lahore

This cross sectional study was designed to evaluate the effects of tobacco chewing on oral health status of patients visiting University College of Dentistry Hospital of the University of Lahore between October 2011 to March 2012. A purposive sampling of 200 individuals was selected and subjects were divided into 2 groups: tobacco chewers [n=100] and non-tobacco chewers [n=100] age ranged between 18 to 55 years. A structured questionnaire was used to collect history by two calibrated dentists who later examined the oral conditions. A statistically significant difference was found between tobacco chewers and non tobacco chewers with respect to mean values of missing teeth [M] and overall DMFT [p=<0.01]. Thirty eight [38%] percent tobacco chewers had some kind of oral mucosal lesion compared to only 6% oral mucosal lesions of non-tobacco chewers. This association between tobacco chewing and oral mucosal lesions was found to be statistically significant with p=0.000. Tobacco chewers had more calculus, shallow pockets [<4mm] and deep pockets [>6mm] as compared to non-tobacco chewers p=0.000. There was however no significant difference found between tobacco chewers and non tobacco chewers with respect to bleeding on probing p=0.445. The results of study suggest that tobacco chewing causes deleterious effects on oral tissues, teeth and thus enhance the risk of periodontal disease. Strict policies based on common risk factor approach need to be adopted by the health authorities to reduce the burden of general and oral diseases