Epidemiologic Pattern and Types of Oral Smokeless Tobacco Usage in Saudi Arabia

Smokeless tobacco (shammah) in Saudi Arabia: a review of its pattern of use, prevalence, and potential role in oral cancer.

BACKGROUND Shammah is a traditional form of chewing tobacco [smokeless tobacco, (ST)] that is commonly used in the Middle East especially in Saudi Arabia (KSA), Yemen and Sudan. The Substance Abuse Research Centre (SARC) at Jazan University noted that no adequate research and information on the prevalence of shammah use in the province of Jazan, and KSA as well, has been provided in the scienti...

Oral health status of male adolescent smokeless tobacco users in Saudi Arabia.

Few studies have evaluated the oral effects of smokeless tobacco use in adolescents. This study described the oral health status of adolescents who were daily users of local smokeless tobacco (shamma) in Saudi Arabia. A convenience sample of 270 middle-school male students completed a questionnaire and received an oral examination and a saliva cotinine test. Among the students, 96% had plaque d...

Smokeless tobacco, viruses and oral cancer.

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common epithelial malignancy in the oral cavity. OSCCs and their variants constitute over 90% of oral malignancies, and the disease is associated with poor prognosis. OSCC is a complex malignancy where environmental factors, viral infections, and genetic alterations most likely interact, and thus give rise to the malignant condition. The Internati...

The oral effects of smokeless tobacco.

Smokeless tobacco use has increased rapidly in North America. This form of tobacco use has many oral effects including leukoplakia, oral cancer, loss of periodontal support (recession), and staining of teeth and composite restorations. Systemic effects such as nicotine dependence, transient hypertension and cardiovascular disease may also result from smokeless tobacco use. This paper aims to gu...

SMOKELESS TOBACCO SMOKELESS TOBACCO 1. Description of Smokeless Tobacco Practices