Prevalence and Pattern of Self-medication with Alternative Medicine: Treatment-switch Analysis in Oral Submucous Fibrosis Patients

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence and pattern of self-medication with alternative medicine (ALM) among oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) patients with emphasis on treatment-switch analysis.

Methods

A total of 115 OSF patients were recruited and subjected to scientifically validated questionnaire. Two groups were identified: S-ALM: patients who have previously received modern medicinal treatment but switched to ALM; and DN-ALM: patients who started ALM from De Novo.

Results

A total of 37 (32.18%) patients reported use of the ALM at some point of time. Twenty-five (67.56%) switched to ALM, whereas 12 (32.43%) patients used ALM from De Novo. The pattern of switching to ALM in short period was significantly prevalent in patients with advanced stages (stage III and IV) as compared to early stages (stage I and II) of OSF. Clarified butter, glycerin, and honey were the most commonly used ALM in both the groups. The most common reasons for switching to ALM were the cost of treatment (32.00%), longer duration of medicinal treatment (24.00%) and ineffectiveness of the medications (24.00%).

Conclusions

ALM usage is common in OSMF patients with significant percentage of patient switched from modern medicine to ALM. Therapeutic efficacy of ALM in OSF needs exploration in future.

Leukoplakia in the Oral Cavity and Oral Microbiota: A Comprehensive Review

Simple Summary

The aim of this narrative review is to better understand the role of the oral microbiota in oral cavity leukoplakia. We provide a comprehensive review, exhaustively summarizing the steps taken in this field.

Abstract

We reviewed the current published literature on the impact of oral microbiota on oral cavity leukoplakia (OLK), aiming at clarifying its role in disease transformation. The analysis unveiled that bacterial richness and diversity in the oral cavity tend to be decreased in OLK compared to healthy controls, with a reduction in the prevalent commensals, such as Streptococci, and elevation of anaerobes. Moreover, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia are recurrent findings, and they already have been linked to periodontal disease. These microbial community changes may also represent a marker for the transition from OLK to oral squamous cell carcinoma. Unfortunately, the reviewed studies present several limitations, making an objective comparison difficult. To overcome these biases, longitudinal studies are necessary.