Oral Pathology Research Essay Signature Assignment

Oral Pathology Research Essay Signature Assignment
Melody Danielpour
West Coast University
DHYG 315 Oral Pathology
Professor Popa
September 03, 2020
Introduction
Tobacco smoking had been a health concern for a long time due to its ill effects on the users and those exposed to the chemicals found in the smoke. It is usually done for personal and social reasons considering how integrated it has been in various cultures due to nicotine's psychological, emotional, social, and pharmacological effects (Bhandarkar et al., 2020). In line with this, to address the public health concern that tobacco smoking poses, the use of smokeless tobacco is now practiced, but this also comes with its risks. In this paper, the two pathologies associated with the use of smokeless tobacco, namely, smokeless tobacco keratosis and oral submucous fibrosis, will be discussed.
Definition
Smokeless tobacco keratosis, also known as tobacco pouch keratosis, is the formation of a white plaque on the oral mucosa in immediate or direct contact with smokeless tobacco products chewing tobacco snuff. The lesion is reversible and considered precancerous.
Oral submucous fibrosis is a chronic and progressive fibrotic oral condition involving the mouth area, oropharynx, and the esophagus's upper part. This crippling disorder presents with decreased mouth opening, ulcerations, and burning sensation. Malignancy status is monitored as its rate ranges from 3% to 19% (Cui et al. 2020).
Etiology
Smokeless tobacco keratosis and oral submucous fibrosis are positively associated with chewing tobacco, areca, betel nut, or combining these and other similar products. These are more commonly seen in areas with low socioeconomic status, and in some areas of India because of its custom in chewing areca or smokeless tobacco.
The smokeless tobacco and other similar products are often chewed, sucked, or passed using the nasal route. This predisposes the buccal, mandibular, and anterior labial vestibule to continuous contact and retention of the noxious chemicals found in smokeless tobacco products.
The popularity of smokeless tobacco products, including betel nut, areca, etc. is why these clinical conditions occur (Ramnath et al., 2017). This practice is already a part of their culture, especially in India and other similar southeast Asian countries, also because of the notion that it is "healthier" in comparison to smoking tobacco while also getting the "high" of it, contributing to a person's ability to be calm down, focus, and concentrate.
Clinical manifestations
Smokeless tobacco keratosis presents with lesions that are thin, gray-white to almost translucent. The borders of the plaque can be seen as slowly merging into the adjacent mucosa. Another distinctive characteristic of smokeless tobacco keratosis is a pouch (tobacco pouch) when the mucosa is affected velvety, soft area is stretched. The affected mucosa is presented as cracked and textured, similar to ripples in the sand after a fading tide. The tobacco placement pressure causes the mucosal area's texture and flaccidity, which applied a constant stretch to the affected part.
Oral submucous fibrosis is a crippling disease characterized by ulcerations with blanchable and palpable fibroti...