Toluidine Blue

Cancer, the dreadful disease is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In parts of Asia where the use of tobacco, betel nuts, or slaked lime to form a quid is widespread (e.g. India), the incidence of Oral Cancer is high. Since fewer studies in India have examined whether adjunctive staining by toluidine blue contributes to enhancing the detection rates of visual screening for oral precancer and cancer. Thus we conducted a community based study to evaluate the prevalence of deleterious oral habits with Oral precancerous and cancerous lesions along with application of toluidine blue as a diagnostic screening adjunct. The results suggest high prevalence of oral soft tissue lesions and a rampant misuse of variety of addictive substances in the community studied. The adjunctive value of toluidine blue is of great importance to be used as a cheap and effective chair side investigation, an aid to biopsy, patient education tool and for mass screening of oral cancer.