Adult smokeless tobacco use and age of onset.

To determine if an earlier age of onset is associated with greater levels of adult smokeless tobacco (SLT) use and to evaluate if this relationship differs by SLT type, 345 current adult SLT users were interviewed to obtain the age at first onset and current frequency of SLT use. The results indicated that more than twice as many SLT users began during adulthood than during preadolescence. Although preadolescent onset was associated with greater chewing tobacco use than adolescent onset, the greatest levels of both chewing tobacco and snuff use were associated with adult onset, suggesting an increased need for SLT prevention programs for young adults.

Comparison of articles published in Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral Pathology in 1972 and 1992.

The articles published in the Oral Pathology section of Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral Pathology in 1972 and 1992 were analyzed and compared. A significant increase in the number of authors and the number of references per article was noted. There was also a significant increase in the number of articles that dealt with bacterial/viral/fungal diseases. A trend toward the origination of more articles from outside the United States was noted.