Frequency and Distribution of Common Oral Mucosal Lesions (Aphthous Ulcers, Geographic Tongue) Among Dental Patients

Abstract

Oral mucosal lesions (OMLs) can show different patterns based on demographics, oral hygiene, and other risk factors. OMLs need to be detected early for diagnosis and management for the risk of prognosis. This cross-sectional study investigated the occurrence of oral mucosal lesions with an emphasis on aphthous ulcers and geographic tongue, in patients of a tertiary care dental hospital with a dental outpatient population. 300 patients above the age of 18-35 were targeted in this study in a time span of six months with the use of non-probability, consecutive sampling. The data collection methods involved a clinical expert examination and the development of a survey tool based on the (WHO) guide to the oral health survey 2013. The data were analyzed statistically by the application of descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS version 26.0. The study reported the presence of oral mucosal lesions in 160 (53.3%) of the participants, while 140 (46.7%) were found to be lesion free. The study cited the presence of aphthous ulcers (16.3%) and geographic tongue (11.7%) as the most common lesions, while traumatic ulcer (8.0%), fissured tongue (6.7%), oral candidiasis (4.3%), frictional keratosis (3.0%), leukoplakia (2.0%) and lichen planus (1.3%) were noted to be less common lesions. The lesions in the tongue (36.3%) and buccal mucosa (26.2%) were frequently found. The study also noted the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions to be higher in the female population in comparison to the male population (p = 0.039). This study observed the frequent occurrence of common oral mucosal lesions in the young adult dental patient population. The study also noted the frequent occurrence of aphthous ulcers and geographic tongue. Every dental visit should include a routine oral mucosal examination for the purpose of early detection and better patient care.