Abstract

The chewing of betel nuts is the widest spread masticatory habit in the world. It has a history of at least 2,000 years, for people have been chewing betel nuts as a masticatory. In the Orient, the number of people having the habit is estimated at over 400 millins. Most of the residents distributed from East coast of Africa along India Ocean to some of the Islands of the Pacific. The components f the betel nut quid may be different in different localities, but the essential component, ie the betel buts, grmbir or cutch, P. betle, and lime are always the same. In Taiwan the habit of cheewing betel buts very probably came from Malaysia one thousand years ago. The mourht condition of 280 betel nut chewers and 306 non-chewers were examined. The result shows that the average number of teeth of betel nut chewers was 29.45 and the mean value of the caries number was 5.33 The average number of teeth of non-chewers was 29.47 and the mean value of the caries number was 6.06. There is only slight difference between the caries rate of chewers and non-chewers. These differences are not significant and the preventive effects of chewing betel but on caries is doubtful. Gingivitis and dento-alveolar abscesses in the mouth of betel nut chewers is much commoner than non-chewers. The attrition of teeth, black stained theeth and increasing amounts of calculus are commoner and severer in betel nut chewers.