Tobacco Related Oral Lesions in South Indian Industrial Workers

Introduction: Tobacco is the leading causative factor for both oral potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer. Tobacco use is higher among lower income population. Low-income population of India are majorly employed as industrial workers. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of oral lesions associated with tobacco related habits among industrial workers. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional epidemiological investigation was conducted among 1000 industrial workers using simple random sampling technique. Information on patient demographics, tobacco related (smoke and smokeless) and other deleterious habits, and clinical examination details were recorded in a structured format. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. Results were tabulated using frequency distribution and mean with a standard deviation. Multiple logistical regression was used to analyze oral lesions by different variables. Results: Among the 1000 industrial workers screened, smoking habit was observed in 13.20%, while 86.8% were using smokeless tobacco. The prevalence of tobacco related oral lesions among individuals with smoke/smokeless tobacco habit was 13.8%. The study documented tobacco related oral lesions such as leukoplakia (6.5%), oral submucous fibrosis (2%), smoker’s palate (2.7%), tobacco related pigmentation (1.9%), erythroplakia (0.3%), and oral squamous cell carcinoma (0.2%). Conclusion: The study documented potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer among users with tobacco related habits. The results also revealed that higher prevalence of potentially malignant disorders over oral cancer. Thus, preventive programs for early detection of oral precancer and oral cancer such as tobacco cessation, tobacco counselling programs are emphasized for industrial workers.