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Electronic cigarette and water pipe are increasingly used as substitutes for people trying to quit smoking or people who want to replace cigarette with an alternative, as they are considered a "safer" alternative. The association between cigarette substitutes and leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma has not been clarified.The purpose of this review is to present information on the relation of electronic cigarette and water pipe, with the development of leukoplakia or oral squamous cell carcinoma. The search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus databases for the period 2010-April 2019 with the keywords: [smoking cessation; smoking, non-tobacco products; vaping; e-cigarette; water pipe smoking] and [precancerous conditions; leukoplakia; squamous cell carcinoma, mouth]. Twenty-one studies were collected and analyzed, 12 for electronic cigarette and 9 for water pipe. In total, 9 studies provide evidence on the association of e-cigarette with carcinogenesis, whereas a review and two prospective clinical studies do not confirm a similar relation. Considering water pipe studies, 6 support its possible association with oral cancer, while 3 indicate that further research is needed due to a lack of evidence. Further investigation is needed to clarify the findings, especially with clinical studies that will consider the variety of formulations available. In conclusion, inadequate findings suggest that cigarette substitutes do not constitute a safe alternative, and that the only effective solution remains smoking cessation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]