Oral mucosal lesions and risk factors in elderly dental patients

Background. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of oral lesions in terms of sex, age, educational status, medication use, systemic diseases, the duration of denture use and tobacco or alcohol use. Methods. A total of 709 voluntary patients (375 males and 334 females), aged ≥60 years, were interviewed by one investigator for demographic data, systemic diseases, tobacco or alcohol use, denture use and the duration of denture use. Results. The majority of the participants (87.6%) had one or more oral mucosal lesions. The prevalence of oral mucosal lesions was 46.3% in males and 41.3% in females (P=0.76). The most common oral mucosal lesion was a sublingual varicosity in both males and females. A statistically significant difference was observed between the three age groups (60–64, 65–69, and ≥70 years) with regard to the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions (P=0.02). There was a significant relationship between the presence of systemic diseases and oral mucosal lesions (P=0.01). There was also a significant relationship between denture use and oral mucosal lesions (P=0.001). Smoking and a history of smoking were also significant predictive factors for oral mucosal lesions (OR: 3.385, P=0.045). Conclusion. Although the majority of oral mucosal lesions detected in the present study were benign, there were some patients with premalignant and malignant lesions. Therefore, periodic oral examinations for detection of precancerous and cancerous lesions are important, especially in the elderly, smokers and denture users.