الفهرس 
Prevalence of oral mucosal lesions among smokers in an Egyptian cohort : A hospital-based cross-sectional study (II)
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Abstract
The oral cavity is the mirror that reflects the health of the individual. It is lined by the oral mucosa which serves as a protective barrier against trauma, pathogens, and carcinogenic agents. Changes indicative of disease are seen as alterations in the oral mucosa lining the mouth, which can reveal systemic conditions, such as diabetes or vitamin deficiency, or the local effects of chronic tobacco or alcohol use. (Christopher et al., 2001 and Langlais et al., 2009). Tobacco is a global epidemic worldwide health problem and it is considered the chief preventable cause of death in the world. Tobacco kills annually almost 8 million people worldwide and is estimated to take 10 million lives every year by 2020. Most tobacco-related deaths occur in lowand middle-income countries, areas that are targets of intensive tobacco industry interference and marketing. In addition to the detrimental impact of tobacco on health, the total economic cost of smoking is very high especially in the developing countries.The scale of this human and economic tragedy is shocking, but it{u2019}s preventable (Reddy and Ali, 2008 and WHO 2008). Studies have shown that tobacco smoking is responsible for many oral conditions including benign, potentially malignant, and malignant lesions. Namely the oral lesions induced by smoking include: tobaccoinduced keratosis, nicotinic stomatitis, leukoplakia, smoker{u2019}s melanosis & oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In addition, smoking is a significant risk factor for periodontal disease.Oral candidiasis and black hairy tongue was seen with tobacco use due to its effect on oral commensal bacteria and Summary fungi. Furthermore, smoking has a bad effect on breath and esthetics; by discoloration of teeth and cause worsening of taste perception