Oral Mucosal Lesions Associated with Use of Quid

Quid is a mixture of substances that is placed in the mouth or actively chewed over an extended period, thus remaining in contact with the mucosa. It usually contains one or both of 2 basic ingredients, tobacco and areca nut. Betel quid or paan is a mixture of areca nut and slaked lime, to which tobacco can be added, all wrapped in a betel leaf. The specific components of this product vary between communities and individuals. The quid habit has a major social and cultural role in communities throughout the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and locations in the western Pacific. Following migration from these countries to North America, predominantly to inner city areas, the habit has remained prevalent among its practitioners.Many dentists are unaware of the prevalence of the quid or paan habit in the Asian patient population. The recognition of the role of such products in the development of oral precancer and cancer is of great importance to the dental practitioner. A variety of oral mucosal lesions and conditions have been reported in association with quid and tobacco use, and the association of these conditions with the development of oral cancer emphasizes the importance of education to limit the use of quid. In most cases, cessation of the habit produces improvement in mucosal lesions as well as in clinical symptoms.