Association between kharra chewing and periodontal health status in oral submucous fibrosis patients of Central India, Nagpur

PURPOSE: Kharra is a mixture of areca nut and tobacco. Arecoline, an areca nut extract, disrupts the harmony of the periodontal cells and thus leads to destruction of the periodontium. Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a premalignant condition that arises due to the consumption of kharra. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of kharra chewing on periodontal status in patients with OSMF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five patients were divided into Group I: healthy periodontium (n = 15), Group II: chronic periodontitis without OSMF group (n = 15), and Group III: chronic periodontitis with OSMF group (n = 15). The clinical parameters assessed for patients with chronic periodontitis were gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), probing pocket depth (PPD; overall and regional) ≥3 mm, and clinical attachment level (CAL; overall and regional) ≥3 mm. For patients in Group III, the OSMF diagnosis and staging were based on Khanna's classification. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: The sample with a mean age of 35 years had a frequency of chewing kharra >6 times per day for at least 3 years. PI, PPD and CAL in Group III were 2.1 ± 0.4, 3.2 ± 0.6, and 4.8 ± 0.6 mm, respectively. the results of the clinical parameters in Group III and Group II were higher than Group I. GI was higher in Group II as compared to the other groups. CONCLUSION: The habit of chewing kharra is found to be associated with poor periodontal health in patients with OSMF.