Prevalence and Risk Factors for Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders in Indian Population

Objective. To assess the prevalence of oral potentially malignant disorders and to determine the potential risk factors for its development in Indian population. Materials and Methods. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 1241 individuals in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. A questionnaire was designed to record information about sociodemographic characteristics, oral hygiene practices, dietary habits, and risk factors for oral potentially malignant disorders. Oral mucosal lesions were examined by a skilled person. Results. The overall prevalence of oral potentially malignant disorders was found to be 13.7% with oral submucous fibrosis (8.06%) found to be more common and erythroplakia (0.24%) found to be least prevalent. Results of Logistic Regression analysis showed that males (OR = 2.09, P value < 0.0001) who were ever consumers of tobacco (OR = 2.06, P value = 0.030) and areca nut chewing (OR = 2.64, P value = 0.004) were more likely to develop oral potentially malignant disorders compared to never consumers. Diabetic (OR = 2.21, P value = 0.014) and underweight individuals (OR = 2.23, P value = 0.007) were more likely to suffer from oral potentially malignant disorders. Conclusion. The study reinforces the association of tobacco and areca nut consumption with oral potentially malignant disorders. An association of oral potentially malignant disorders with diabetes and BMI was confirmed by this study.