Prevalence of Oral Mucosal Lesions Among the Institutionalized Elderly Population in Lebanon

Prevalence of Oral Mucosal Variations in Healthy Elderly Individuals of Taxila City, Pakistan

Background and objectives Oral mucosal variations, though significant in the aging population, remain under-researched regarding their prevalence and characteristics in local Pakistani population. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of normal oral mucosal variations in the elderly population, providing insights to aid clinicians and researchers. Methodology This cross-sectional, observational, descriptive study was conducted over four months, from December 2023 to March 2024, in the Department of Oral Medicine at HITEC Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) Dental College, Taxila, Pakistan. A total of 385 male and female patients over 60 years of age were examined. Of these, 250 patients met the inclusion criteria. All patients underwent extraoral and intraoral examinations by a consultant in dental medicine with five years of clinical experience. Diagnoses were made following the World Health Organization's Guide to Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Oral Mucosal Diseases. Results Among the N = 143 female patients, approximately 33% (n = 47) exhibited age-related oral mucosal variations, while 23.4% (n = 25) of the N = 107 male patients showed such variations. The most prevalent variation was a coated tongue, found in 8.3% (n = 12) of females and 5% (n = 6) of males, followed by depapillated n = 6 (4.2%) and fissured tongues n = 3 (2.8%) respectively. Sublingual varices were the least common, occurring in 1.4% (n = 2) of females and 1.8% (n = 2) of males. Conclusion This study highlights the prevalence of normal age-related mucosal alterations and their gender predispositions, which can facilitate the development of future health strategies to improve oral health and promote informed care practices.

Prevalence of Denture-Related Stomatitis in Edentulous Patients at a Tertiary Dental Teaching Hospital

Oral mucosal lesions can be uncomfortable and can result in a poorer oral health related quality of life. This can be seen especially in edentulous patients who are mostly elderly and have comorbid diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus, which can impair their ability to withstand oral infections. In South Africa, one of the most unequal countries in the world, almost 50% of the population is edentulous and this prevalence increases as age increases. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of denture-related stomatitis in subjects who presented to a tertiary institution in Cape Town, South Africa for new complete dentures and to determine the risk indicators associated with it. Three hundred and ninety-six folders of participants who received complete dentures during the period 2014–2019 were included in this study. Categorical data was displayed as frequencies and percentages and a multiple adjusted logistic regression was used to determine associations between Candida and certain risk indicators. The prevalence of denture-related stomatitis was 25.76% (n = 102). Almost 75% (n = 225) females and 72.63% (n = 69) males had no denture-related stomatitis. The most common site for candidiasis in this population was the palate and tonsillar area (40.2%, n = 41) and the least common site was the upper ridge (2.94%, n = 3). Candidiasis, in edentulous patients are highly prevalent in this population and more needs to be done to prevent it.