Background: The morbidity of certain oral pathologies, for example denture-related stomatitis, burning mouth syndrome (BMS) and benign neoplasms is higher in the elderly. It is necessary to periodically assess the changes in the profile of the occurrence of these diseases and determine the dominant risk factors associated with their incidence.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of oral mucosal pathologies (in particular, potentially malignant and cancerous disorders) in a randomly selected population of 65-74-year-old residents of Wrocław and Oława, Poland.
Material and methods: A group of 1,600 persons aged 65-74 years, living in Wrocław (a large city) and Oława (a small town) were randomly selected to participate in the study. 285 people from Wrocław and 102 from Oława were examined. In a clinical dental examination, the following parameters were assessed: the number of teeth; probing/pocket depth (PD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) for all the teeth at 4 measuring points (on this basis, periodontal diagnoses were made according to American recommendations - of the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Periodontology (CDC/AAP)); and the presence of prosthetic restorations and their quality. In the anamnestic study, variables concerning the socioeconomic status, systemic conditions (comorbidity of selected general diseases, nicotine addiction status, body mass) and selected behaviors promoting oral health were determined.
Results: The most common clinical changes in the oral mucosa were denture-related stomatitis (6.7%), hemangiomas (5.9%) and fibromas (4.1%). Potentially malignant disorders and cancerous lesions were diagnosed in 59 persons (15.2% of the respondents). One case of tongue cancer was diagnosed in an inhabitant of Oława.
Conclusions: More than 1/3 of the examined persons were diagnosed with certain clinical, pathological oral mucosal lesions requiring treatment, of which nearly half were potentially malignant and cancerous. Poor tooth brushing efficiency was associated with a higher incidence of pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions in the oral cavity.
Keywords: cross-sectional epidemiological study; oral mucosa diseases; potentially malignant disorders; the elderly.