The exact cause of leukoplakia is unknown, but it may be the result of substances irritating the tissue inside the mouth.
Despite the lack of scientific evidence to confirm the causes of leukoplakia, research has identified a number of risk factors for the condition’s development. These are described below.
Tobacco
Tobacco use is the leading risk factor for leukoplakia. Smokers are much more likely to get leukoplakia than non-smokers.
There is an even higher risk for people who use smokeless tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco, or betel nut type preparations, such as paan.
Studies have shown that regular users of betel nuts are 25 times more likely to develop leukoplakia than non-users.
Alcohol
After tobacco, the second leading risk factor for leukoplakia is heavy alcohol use. Heavy drinkers are eight times more likely to develop leukoplakia than non-drinkers.
Heavy drinking is defined as drinking more than the recommended weekly limit for alcohol consumption, which is 21 units for men and 14 units for women.
A unit of alcohol is approximately half a pint of normal-strength lager, a small glass of wine or a single measure (25ml) of spirits.
Other possible risk factors
There are no other consistent risk factors for leukoplakia. White patches may sometimes occur if people have a habit of biting their cheeks or dragging their lips across the teeth.
Similarly, poorly fitting dentures that rub the lining of the mouth can cause thickened areas that appear as white patches. These white patches are not considered to be leukoplakia as they have a clearly identifiable cause – local trauma – and do not have a risk of causing mouth cancer.
