Letters to the Editor

Oral submucous fibrosis is a disease predominantly limited to the Asian countries, especially the Indian subcontinent. However, with an ever increasing Asian population in the UK, this disease has contemporary relevance and dentists should be aware of the factors which can predispose to it, even at an early age.

There are only a few reported cases of oral submucous fibrosis in children. A 12-year-old boy presented with complaints of restricted mouth opening and burning sensation in the oral cavity for 6 months. He reported of chewing about 10 packets of gutkha for 6 years. A conspicuous blanched appearance of labial and buccal mucosae and hard palate was observed (Figure 1).

Tongue movements were reasonably restricted and the patient was unable to bring the tip of the tongue in contact with the hard palate (Figure 2). Dense, fibrotic bands were palpable in the buccal mucosa and the anterior fauces. A diagnosis of oral submucous fibrosis was made based on these features.