Tooth Wear Among Tobacco Chewers in the Rural Population of Davangere, India

Purpose: In India, people chew tobacco either alone or in combination with pan or pan masala, which may cause tooth wear. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare tooth wear among chewers of various forms/combinations of tobacco products in the rural population of Davangere Taluk. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 208 subjects selected from four villages of Davangere Taluk. Tooth wear was recorded using the Tooth Wear Index by a calibrated examiner with a kappa score of 0.89. The chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The subjects chewing tobacco had significantly greater tooth wear as compared to the controls (P 0.001). It was also observed that the frequency and duration of chewing tobacco was directly proportional to the number of pathologically worn sites. Conclusion: The abrasives present in the tobacco might be responsible for the increased tooth wear among tobacco chewers. Keywords: rural population, tobacco, tooth wear