title: Palatal changes of reverse smokers in a rural coastal Andhra population with review of literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate and record the palatal changes in individuals habituated to reverse chutta smoking in rural coastal Andhra population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty individuals out of whom 47 females and 13 males habituated to reverse smoking with no other tobacco and alcohol habits and no other systemic disturbances were selected. The palatal changes were recorded by six examiners. Database were searched for the following terms "reverse smokers," "nicotina palatini" and "palatal lesions."
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean and percentage prevalence of the each lesion recorded and agreed by six examiners among 60 subjects showed presence of 87.77% hyperpigmented areas, 64.44% depigmented areas, 51.66% excrescences, 32.22% potentially malignant lesions and 9.72% frank ulcerations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reverse smoking is an endemic tobacco habit still practiced in the coastal rural Andhra Pradesh. It is a well-established and socially acceptable habit among adult females. The changes recorded clinically shows characteristic features that are unique among this population group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Vishnu Dental College, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: T Sreenivasa
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Bharath
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Vishnu Dental College, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: N Govind Raj
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Vishnu Dental College, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagaraja
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Vishnu Dental College, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Saraswathi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Vishnu Dental College, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: G Suresh
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Babu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Vishnu Dental College, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: P Ramanjaneya
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Raju
keywords: Palatal changes; nicotina palatini; reverse smokers; rural coastal Andhra population