title: Prevalence of oral lesions in relation to habits: Cross-sectional study in South India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Smoking, drinking and chewing tobacco product, common habits in India have been positively associated with oral lesions. No study has been conducted in this part of Tamilnadu regarding the prevalence of oral lesions in relation to habits.
  
  
  METHODS
  A hospital based cross-sectional study was carried out at Ragas Dental College, Chennai. Already existing data of two thousand and seventeen consecutive patients from sub-urban areas of Chennai, who attended the outpatient department, at Ragas Dental College, for dental complaints during a period of three months in 2004, who underwent oral examination and interviewer based questionnaire was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oral soft tissue lesions were found in 4.1% of the study subjects. The prevalence of leukoplakia, OSF and oral lichen planus was 0.59%, 0.55%, and 0.15% respectively. The prevalence of smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages and chewing was 15.02%, 8.78% and 6.99% respectively. Smoking and chewing were significant predictors of leukoplakia in this population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of leukoplakia, OSF and oral lichen planus in our study population is similar to those found in other populations. The prevalence of consumption of alcoholic beverages in our study population was higher when compared to the Indian National Sample Survey study. However the prevalence of smoking and chewing was found to be lower. Smokers were more likely to develop smoker's melanosis compared to other lesions. Among those who consumed alcoholic beverages alone, the prevalence of leukoplakia was higher compared to other lesions. OSF was the most prevalent lesion among those who chewed panmasala or gutkha or betel quid with or without tobacco.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Ragas Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Saraswathi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ranganathan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shanmugam
authors.forename: Ramesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sowmya
authors.forename: Prem Deepa
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Narasimhan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gunaseelan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000145:classification; D001114:Areca; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006184:Habits; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000453:epidemiology; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008548:Melanosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009914:Oral Submucous Fibrosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless / Q000145:classification