To study the prevalence of oral submucous fibrosis in biratnagar, Nepal

Aim: To study and determine the prevalence of oral submucous fibrosis and to evaluate its association with habitual Gutkha chewing, areca nut, betel nut and betel leaf and other associated adverse habits. Material and Methods: The Oral submucous fibrosis patients in the outpatient Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Noble Medical College and Hospital, were examined. The study design was a cross sectional study. A total of 589 OSMF patients were screened out of a total of 1200 patients. Complete clinical history, including demographic details, various oral habits – the frequency (number of times per day), duration (years of consumption) and type (Areca nut, Pan, Gutkha) were recorded in case record forms. Result: A majority of patients belonged to Stage II with a mean + SD of 147.25.Many patients were males of age group 36-40 yrs and females in the age group 31-35 yrs. Conclusion: The present study reveals that OSMF is closely associated with the use of chewing tobacco like gutkha , pan and areca nut. Special efforts are needed to educate the public about the adverse effects of tobacco chewing