Oral mucosal lesions in patients treated at the geriatric clinics of the San Gregorio University of Portoviejo

Abstract

Objective: To characterize the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in older adults attending the geriatric clinics at San Gregorio de Portoviejo University. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive, non-experimental, cross-sectional observational study with a quantitative approach. The study sample consisted of 159 elderly patients. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 27, using measures of central tendency, frequency analysis, and the chi-square test. Results were presented in tables and bar graphs. Results: The most predominant age group was 60 to 65 years (49.69%), with the majority being male (46.54%). The most prevalent lesion was leukoplakia (12.2%), followed by denture stomatitis (4.1%). 9.4% of patients with leukoplakia were smokers, and the most frequent anatomical location of this lesion was the cheek mucosa (56.25%). In the case of denture stomatitis, the most affected area was the hard palate (87.50%). Conclusion: Leukoplakia was the most common lesion on the oral mucosa of older adults, especially men. Tobacco use was determined to be the main intrinsic risk factor, while medication use was the most significant extrinsic risk factor. Furthermore, a strong relationship was observed between the duration of removable denture use and the development of subdenture stomatitis. Finally, the cheek mucosa was the anatomical area with the highest incidence of lesions.