Oral Lesions Observed in Tobacco Consumers: Socio-Demographical and Clinical Aspects in the Prefectures of Kankan and Siguiri Republic of Guinea

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Introduction: Oral lesions observed in Chewing Tobacco (CT) consumers are histological alterations caused by direct contact with the tissues of the oral cavity. The objectives of this study were to determine the socio-demographic status of consumers and describe the clinical characteristics of the oral lesions observed. Material and Method: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study lasting 12 months (January 2017 to January 2018), in the prefectures of Kankan and Siguiri as a framework. Individuals who use chewing tobacco and whose oral examination revealed oral lesions were included in this study. Results: The frequency of oral lesions induced by the consumption of chewing tobacco was 90%. Dental pain was the most cited reason for using CT by respondents, i.e., 25.41%. The most concerned age group was that of 50 - 64 years or 23.81 with a male predominance of 84.13% (n = 53). A number of 61 respondents came from rural areas. Farmers were the predominant socio-professional group, i.e., 63.49% (n = 40). In 60.32% (n = 38) of respondents, the duration of CT consumption was greater than 10 years. Black villous tongues followed by neoplastic ulcerations were the most common oral lesions with 32 (50.79%) and 14 (22.22%) cases, respectively. The site of the lesion was the tongue in 47 consumers (74.61%) and in the lower vestibule in 15 users (23.80%). Among the oral diseases, mylolysis was the most common, i.e., 95.24% (n = 60). In 82.54% of cases (n = 52), Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (SOHI) was low and in 12.70% (n = 8) of respondents, SOHI was good. Conclusion: Chewing tobacco predisposes to a high risk of damage to the oral cavity and the development of potentially malignant lesions. In addition, it exerts some detrimental effects on the teeth and adjacent structures.