Smokeless tobacco addiction: a threat to the oral and systemic health of the child and adolescent.

Pediatrician. 1989;16(3-4):170-7. Related Articles, Links Christen AG, McDonald JL Jr, Olson BL, Christen JA. Department of Preventive Dentistry, Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis.

The use of smokeless tobacco (ST) within the United States has increased greatly in recent years, especially among adolescent boys and young men. Recent national data completed from several large scale studies indicate that 10-12 million Americans use some form of ST. Representing a significant systemic and oral health risk, ST usage can produce a wide range of negative effects on both soft and hard oral tissues. These oral conditions include bad breath, discolored teeth and restorative materials, excessive tooth surface wear (abrasion), decreased ability to taste and smell, gingival (gum) recession, advanced periodontal soft and hard tissue destruction, tooth loss, soft tissue erythema and leukoplakia. Longterm ST usage is directly correlated to an increased risk of cancer of the mouth, larynx, throat and esophagus