Introduction: India, country with diverse cultures, health beliefs, practices, habits and risk factors for disease is facing epidemiological and demographic translation in arena of rise of oral potentially malignant disorders and cancers. Materials and methods: Patients with clinically and histopathologically diagnosed oral potentially malignant disorders over the last five years in our department were included in the study and history of any harmful habits were retrieved from each patient record. For every patient histopathology report was obtained and strength of association of risk factors was analyzed. Results: In our study lichen planus were commonly found in females and most of the time associated with no harmful habits, leukoplakia were generally associated with tobacco smoking habit while erythroplakia were associated with both chewing and smoking tobacco habits. Conclusion: The habit of tobacco chewing and smoking showed a statistically significant association to oral potentially malignant disorders which are common in younger age group. There is an urgent need for awareness programs involving the community health workers, dentists and allied medical professionals.