Oral mucosal findings related to tobacco use and alcohol consumption: a study on Swiss army recruits involving self-reported and clinical data.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to assess the oral mucosal health status of young male adults (aged 18 to 24 years) in Switzerland and to correlate their clinical findings with self-reported risk factors such as tobacco use and alcohol consumption.


METHODS
Data on the oral health status of 615 Swiss Army recruits were collected using a standardised self-reported questionnaire, followed by an intraoral examination. Positive clinical findings were classified as (1) common conditions and anatomical variants, (2) reactive lesions, (3) benign tumour lesions and (4) premalignant lesions. The main locations of the oral mucosal findings were recorded on a topographical classification chart. Using correlational statistics, the findings were further associated with the known risk factors such as tobacco use and alcohol consumption.


RESULTS
A total of 468 findings were diagnosed in 327 (53.17%) of the 615 subjects. In total, 445 findings (95.09%) were classified as common conditions, anatomical variants and reactive soft-tissue lesions. In the group of reactive soft-tissue lesions, there was a significantly higher percentage of smokers (P < 0.001) and subjects with a combination of smoking and alcohol consumption (P < 0.001). Eight lesions were clinically diagnosed as oral leukoplakias associated with smokeless tobacco. The prevalence of precursor lesions in the population examined was over 1%.


CONCLUSIONS
Among young male adults in Switzerland, a significant number of oral mucosal lesions can be identified, which strongly correlate with tobacco use. To improve primary and secondary prevention, young adults should therefore be informed more extensively about the negative effects of tobacco use on oral health.
Morger
Reto
R
Department of Oral Surgery and Stomatology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Ramseier
Christoph A
CA
Rees
Terry D
TD
Bürgin
Walter B
WB
Bornstein
Michael M
MM
D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005929:Glossitis, Benign Migratory / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000209:etiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014063:Tongue, Fissured / Q000209:etiology; D014064:Tongue, Hairy / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult