Prevalence of Oral Mucosal Lesions in Geriatric Population of Coastal Andhra Pradesh

Introduction: Elderly people are more susceptible to various oral mucosal lesions due to associated co-morbidities related to age. Nevertheless, limited studies were done in determining the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in geriatric population in Indian sub-continent.Aim and Methodology: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in male and female geriatric population of coastal Andhra Pradesh. This hospital-based retrospective study includes 686 geriatric patients. E record files were obtained from 2018 to 2020 with patient details regarding age, gender, socio-demographic factors, chief complaint, systemic diseases, deleterious oral habits, and denture use status were obtained.Results: A total of 686 geriatric patients with 389 male and 297 female patients were examined. Among these subjects, a total of 375 (54.66%) geriatric patients where 225 (60%) of male patients and 150 (40%) of female patients had oral mucosal lesions. The most prevalent oral mucosal lesion was leukoplakia 72(19.2%) with male predominance followed by lichen planus 66 (17.6%) with female predominance.Conclusion: Oral mucosal lesions were more prevalent in geriatric population compared to adult population because of associated co-morbidities in geriatric population and deleterious habits. The prevalence of oral mucosal lesions is an indicator of the oral health condition of elderly individuals. The study highlights the importance of early diagnosis of oral mucosal lesions by screening examination and timely interventions.