Oral submucous fibrosis in children: Report of three cases and review

Abstract

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic, insidious, generalized, and debilitating condition of the oral mucosa predominantly encountered in South-East Asian countries. Oral submucous fibrosis is etiologically linked to the consumption of the areca nut in flavored formulations or as an ingredient in the betel quid chewed by the communities in these countries. The sweet supari, in their multicolored attractive pouches, is the most common chewed product in children. It is considered a harmless mouth freshener and therefore is consumed in larger amount and is kept in the mouth for a longer time and swallowed by the ignorant children. Factors involved in the consumption of sweet supari are levels of awareness, household environment, peer pressure, low cost, easy availability, etc. Here, we report three cases of OSMF in a 9-year-old girl, 13-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl and literature review.