Oral lesions associated with daily use of snus, a moist smokeless tobacco product. A cross-sectional study among Norwegian adolescents

ObjectiveUse of snus, a moist, smokeless tobacco product, may lead to local changes in the oral mucous membrane in the area where the snus is placed. It can also cause irreversible gingival retraction. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between use of snus, oral mucosal lesions (snus induced lesions) and gingival retractions among adolescents in Norway.Material and MethodsAll 18-20 years olds visiting public dental health clinics in the south-eastern region of Norway between October 2015 and December 2016 were invited to participate. All participants (n = 1363) filled in an electronic questionnaire before a clinical examination. Of these, 216 used snus daily.ResultsSnus induced lesions were observed in 79.2% of daily snus using participants. In adjusted regression analyses, the odds of having a more severe lesion as opposed to a less severe lesion were 1.12 times greater for each additional box of snus used in a month (p < .01). Women were 46% less likely to have a severe lesion than men (p = .03). Gingival retractions were observed in 18.4% of the participants. The odds for dental retraction were significantly higher by 34% for each year of snus use.ConclusionsMost of the adolescents using snus had snus induced lesions, whereas approximately one-fifth had gingival retractions. The severity of the lesion and gingival retraction increased with the amount of snus boxes used and the duration of the snus use, respectively.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between use of snus, oral mucosal lesions (snus induced lesions) and gingival retractions among adolescents in Norway. The study found that 79.2% of daily snus users had snus induced lesions, and the severity of the lesion increased with the amount of snus used. The study also found that the odds of gingival retractions were significantly higher with each year of snus use.