Introduction
Tobacco habit is widely spread in different parts of our nation. Tobacco product can either be chewed, snuffed, smoked or dipped. Smoking is done by both upper and lower socio-economic group but low socio-economic group is more adapted towards smoking. Somking or tobacco chewing habit just not causes mucosal changes but also lead to various lesions such as leukoplakia, osmf, black hairy tonque, smokers palate, malignant changes and so on.
Somkers palate also known as Nicotine stomatitis is a lesion of the palatal mucosa, which is been described in literature in early 1926. Thoma KH named the lesion stomatitis nicotine because it was mainly seen in the person who were exposed to smoking habit.1 Periodontal & mucosal changes are often seen in the oral cavity of smokers but the name nicotine is a misnomer as nicotine is not the product that causes the lesion, but the heat stream of tobacco and smoke.2 Change in color of hard palate is seen which comprises of red dots located centrally. After continues smoking the opening minor salivary gland becomes inflamed because to heat. Patient is generally unaware of this smokers palate as it is asymptomatic. But with the continues habit of use of smoking it may lead to cancer of the tonsils, posterior mouth, and lungs. However if the habit is stopped then dotted appearance of hard palate turns to healthy.
In this study evaluation and correlation of the smoking habit in individual with different pattern of smoker’s palate depending on their use is been seen.
Materials and Methods
A total of 920 individual participated in the study. Individual from last one year who came for routine dental check up or with any other oral and dental problem in dental OPD of polyclinic were included in the study. Individual without any systemic condition and not under any medication were included in the study. Individual who had habit of smoking more than 6-8 cigarette or beedi from last 3-5 years were included for the study. All the individual were informed about the study, and they were ready to comply with the study and consent form were taken for their active participation in the study.
All the individual were examined with the help of diagnostic instrument and guage and case history with relevant information were recorded.
Smokers palate were examined and classified into three grades 3
Results
The study included 920 individuals with smoking habit out of which 726 had developed smoker’s palate which shares a high number of the total smokers.Table 1
Table 1
Comparison between grades of smoker’s palate and type of smoking
|
Type of Smoking |
Grade I |
Grade II |
Grade III |
Total (%) |
|
Beedi |
110 |
270 |
110 |
490(67.4) |
|
Cigarette |
75 |
99 |
62 |
236(32.5) |
|
Total |
185 |
369 |
172 |
726(100) |
Table 2
Correlation between different grades of smoker’s palate with duration and frequency of smoking habit
Out of 920 individuals 726 were smokers with different pattern of habits irt duration and numbers of daily use. In our study we came across the fact that indivisual using beedi are more prone to smoker’s palate. Out of 726 individual 490 were in the habit of smoking beedi where as cigarette using individual were 236 which comprises of 32.5% in respect of beedi smokers i.e. 67.4%. Table 2
All this is suggestive of more the number of beedi & cigarette intake and more the duration, much will be the chances of smoker’s palate.
Discussion
Beedi consumption is more than cigarette consumption. The presence of smokers palate is more in beedi, it may be because of various factors such as
Absence of filter in beedi as cigarette do have filter and heat concentration is high in beedi irt to cigarette.
Constituents of beedi irt to cigarette.
Use of beedi is more because it is cheep irt cigarette.
Our study got the result that beddi smoking is much harmful than cigarette smoking. The severity of smoker’s palate lesion also increased as the frequency and duration of smoking increased.
Conclusion
The clinically evident mucosal changes were very characteristic and unique. The presence of smokers palate is more in individual with more duration and frequency. Oral & dental Surgeon should take special care in diagnosing the smokers palate for early detection of any further complication.
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