SMOKER’S PALATE
SMOKER’S PALATE
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What is smoker’s palate?
smoker’s palate is a diffuse white patch on the hard palate, usually caused by tobacco smoking, usually pipe or cigar smoking.
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Is smoker’s palate painful?
No, it is not painful. It is painless.
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What is the cause of smoker’s palate?
It is caused by a response of the palatal oral mucosa to chronic heat as a result of smoking.
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Smoker’s palate, is it premalignant?
Smoker’s palate is seen especially among heavy pipesmokers and is asymptomatic and not premalignant. It disappears after cessation of smoking habit.
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What is stomatitis nicotina?
Smoker’s palate is otherwise called as stomatitis nicotina.
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What is reverse smoking?
Reverse smoking is smoking with the lighted end inside the mouth.
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Reverse smoking, is it more dangerous?
Yes, it is more dangerous. Chances of cancer is more .
A more pronounced appearance can occur with reverse smoking, sometimes distinguished from stomatitis nicotina by the term reverse smoker’s keratosis.
While stomatitis nicotina that is caused by heat is not a premaligant condition (i.e. it does not carry an increased risk of transformation to oral cancer), the condition that is caused by reverse smoking is premalignant.
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How can we differentiate between reactionary keratotis and true leukoplakia which is a precancerous condition?
If the lesion in mouth or palate persists despite stopping smoking, this is usually then considered to be a true leukoplakia rather than a reactionary keratotis, and may trigger the decision to carry out a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.
