Tobacco and oral health.

Abstract

Oral cancer is one of the leading causes of human morbidity and mortality especially in developing countries like India. Tobacco consumption in smokeless and smoking form along with alcohol is considered as the primary risk factors. Tobacco is a major health challenge with various tobacco products available for use which are known to have deleterious effects on the oral mucosa. The oral lesions caused by tobacco are inclusive of those that are less likely to progress to cancer; lesions with increased tendency to develop into cancer and cancerous lesions. In India, tobacco use is incredibly linked to poverty and accounts for the high public health costs of treating tobacco-related diseases. In India, major population resides in rural areas and most of the cancers are found in the oral cavity, due to inadequate medical facilities, no proper primary care infrastructure or cancer screening tools and high levels of illiteracy all contribute to poor oral cancer (OC) outcomes.