title: Oral mucosal alterations among the institutionalized elderly in Brazil.
abstract: This study determined the prevalence of oral mucosal alterations and associated factors among the institutionalized elderly in Brazil. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, a review of their medical records and an intra-oral examination. A sample of 335 individuals over 60 years of age was randomly selected. In total, 646 alterations were diagnosed; 59.1% were variations of the normal oral mucosa. The most frequent variation consisted of sublingual varicosities (51.6%). Denture stomatitis (15.2%) and denture hyperplasia (12.8%) were the most frequent lesions. Elderly patients who wore dentures had a significantly higher prevalence of oral mucosal lesions (p = 0.00) than those that didn't wear dentures. There was a high prevalence of variations of the normal oral mucosa and of mucosal lesions, especially denture-induced lesions, among the institutionalized elderly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, State University of Montes Claros, Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. ferreira_rc@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Raquel Conceição
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Cláudia Silami de
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.forename: Allyson Nogueira
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Moreira
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013282:Stomatitis, Denture / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014060:Tongue Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology