Oral and dental effects of nicotine pouches
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the oral and dental effects of nicotine pouch use.
IRAS ID
362234
Contact name
Richard Holliday
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Oral nicotine pouches are tobacco free products that are held intra-orally, typically between the lip and labial mucosa. They are a similar concept to smokeless tobacco products, delivering nicotine via the mucous membranes into the blood stream. These are becoming increasingly popular in the UK, being introduced onto the market in 2019, and are most prevalent in smokers, however recent research by Loughborough University also highlighted an increasing use among professional footballers (1 in 5 currently using).
Although these pouches do not contain any tobacco products and are therefore not classes as a carcinogen, very little is known about the potential effects these can have on the dental soft and hard tissues. To date there is only one small case series (n=5) which highlighted that patients using these pouches can have leukoplakia at the site where the pouch is held, with associated cellular changes (Miluna-Meldere et al. 2024), of which the clinical significance and malignant transformation potential is unknown. In addition, the effects of these pouches on oral and dental health are unknown.
Therefore, the aim of this study is to begin to explore the effects these have intra-orally, and test methodologies that may be used for a future larger study.
REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/LO/0816
Date of REC Opinion
19 Jan 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion