Comparative Study of the Efficacy of Newer Antioxitands Lycopene and Oxitard in the Treatment of Oral Submucous Fibrosis

Objective: To compare the efficacy of oxitard and lycopene in the management of Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF). Material and Methods: 120 subjects with clinic-pathologically diagnosed OSMF were included in the study and divided equally in 2 groups, Group A (oxitard) and Group B (lycopene). Group A was administered 2 oxitard capsules twice daily and Group B was given 8 mg lycopene in 2 divided doses of 4 mg for 3 months. Gingival index and plaque index were documented for all patients and compared. Evaluation for different clinical parameters was done at regular intervals and data was analyzed using the Student's paired t test and Chi-square test. P-value <0.001 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Clinical improvements in mouth opening and tongue protrusion was significant in Group A (p<0.001). Subjective symptoms of pain associated with the lesion (p=0.0001), difficulty in swallowing (p=0.0004) and speech (p=0.0002) significantly improved in the Group A. However, there was no significant improvement in burning sensation (p>0.001) among the 2 groups. Although the mean gingival index and plaque index in group A was reduced but it was found to be not statistically significant. Conclusion: Oxitard capsules can bring about significant clinical improvements in the symptoms like mouth opening, tongue protrusion, difficulty in swallowing and speech and pain associated with the lesion when compared to lycopene, thereby improving the quality of life of the affected individuals.