Oral Submucous Fibrosis:A Warning Towards Oral Cancer

Oral submucous fibrosis is a chronic, insidious and highly potent precancerous condition of the oral cavity and sometimes affecting the pharynx.² It is characterized by generalized inflammation and fibrosis of the submucosal tissues (lamina propria and deeper connective tissues).¹ Oral Submucous fibrosis is a debilitating condition of the oral cavity with multifactorial etiology out of which areca nut chewing being the most common cause. There are various methodologies for management of this precancerous condition involving habit cessation, conservative treatment such as nutritional therapy and medical therapy, surgical interventions and oral physiotherapies, but, none of them has been able to provide permanent relief from the signs and symptoms. This review aims to focus various etiological factors behind the disease and treatment modalities available for treating this disease, mainly focusing upon the non-surgical approaches.