ABSTRACT
Indonesia is a country with an exceedingly high number of smokers. Currently, the use of e-cigarettes is rising as a smoking substitute. Oral mucosa changes associated with the use of e-cigarettes have not been extensively explored. The study aims to determine the description of oral mucosal changes in e-cigarette users and perceptions about e-cigarettes in students at Trisakti University. This observational study with a cross-sectional design used a validated questionnaire and an intraoral clinical examination of 114 subjects. This study found about 21.1% of subjects had nicotine stomatitis, 11.4% of subjects had leukoedema, 13.2% of subjects had smokers’ melanosis, and 28.9% of subjects had smoker's keratosis lesions. The majority of respondents (86.72%) believe that e-cigarettes are safer, do not pollute the environment, offer a variety of appealing flavors, and can replace tobacco smoking without producing foul breath. There was mucosal alteration observed in e-cigarette smokers, and almost all respondents admitted that e-cigarettes were safer and could substitute for smoking cigarettes.
