The prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in adults from the Turin area.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions (OML) and evaluate its association with tobacco and alcohol consumption and the wearing of removable dentures in an adult population from the Turin area, Italy.


METHODS
A retrospective study, based on an invitational self-selected screening, was performed on 4098 subjects. It included clinical examination plus biopsies when necessary. Patient history included age, sex, denture wearing and risk habits. Internationally accepted criteria were adopted to classify the OMLs.


RESULTS
Males were observed to have more OMLs (557/2040; 27.3%vs 471/2058; 22.89%). Overall OML prevalence was linked to risk habits and age. Tobacco was linked to leukoplakia, melanin pigmentation, smoker's palate, frictional lesions and papilloma. It was negatively related to recurrent aphthous stomatitis and oral lichen planus. Alcohol was linked to leukoplakia, frictional lesions and median rhomboid glossitis. The tobacco-alcohol association was linked to frictional lesions, leukoplakia, melanin pigmentation and smoker's palate. Denture wearers had an overall higher prevalence of OMLs, in particular candidiasis, traumatic and frictional lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of OMLs in Turin seems to be comparable to those in other European studies and emphasize that risk habits and denture wearing have some relationship with the presence of OMLs.
Pentenero
M
M
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, Oral Medicine Section, University of Turin, Italy. monica.pentenero@unito.it
Broccoletti
R
R
Carbone
M
M
Conrotto
D
D
Gandolfo
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003778:Dentures / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005928:Glossitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008548:Melanosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D010212:Papilloma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013283:Stomatitis, Herpetic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology