Two hundred twenty-six Navajo Indian children, aged 14-18, resident in a boarding school near Gallup, New Mexico, were interviewed to determine their use of chewing tobacco and snuff. Information was obtained on the types of products used, and the frequency and duration of use. A clinical examination was made of the oral soft tissues and leukoplakia recorded, using the diagnostic methods and grading described by Green and Polsen. Preliminary analyses indicate that 64.2% use smokeless tobacco (one of the highest levels of use yet reported in adolescents), and 25.5% of those subjects have leukoplakia. The data are now being further analyzed to investigate the effect of use of smokeless tobacco on periodontal health.
