Recurrent aphthous ulcers among tobacco users- hospital based study.

BACKGROUND

Current evidence shows ambiguous relationship between tobacco use and the occurrence of aphthous.

OBJECTIVE

We studied the relationship between the occurrence of recurrent aphthous ulcers and various forms of tobacco usage.

METHODS

A hospital based case control study was carried out in a dental teaching hospital in Cochin, India. One hundred and two outpatient subjects (Males 56.9%) were identified having aphthous ulceration using Natha's diagnostic criteria and were classified as cases. One hundred and eight subjects (Males, 70.4%) with no aphthous ulceration were selected randomly as controls. Exposure ascertainment of tobacco usage was done by structured interview.

RESULTS

The adjusted odd ratio was found to be 0.41 (95% CI 0.19-0.87) for tobacco usage and occurrence of aphthous ulceration compared to non tobacco users. The odds ratio of 0.41 for tobacco usage infers that subjects using tobacco were 59% less likely to have aphthous ulcerations compared to nontobacco users.

CONCLUSIONS

The tobacco consumers have less frequency of aphthous ulceration compared non users.