ORAL MUCOSAL LESIONS IN 65-74-YEAR-OLD HONG-KONG CHINESE

There have been no reported surveys of oral mucosal lesions among the elderly in Asian countries. Therefore, the purpose of this study was t o determine the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions among 65-74-yr-old, community-dwelling elderly Chinese in Hong Kong and to determine the prevalence of lesions in denture wearers, tobacco smokes and alcohol d rinkers. A total of 537 noninstitutionalized 65-74-yr-olds were interv iewed and clinically examined in an oral health survey conducted in 19 91. In the survey, the elderly underwent a systematic examination of t heir oral mucosa by one of the three examiners with the aid of an over head light. The examiners were trained and calibrated before and durin g the survey, and a specially prepared colour atlas of oral mucosal le sions was used for lesion recognition. No mucosal lesions were detecte d in 64% of the elderly. In the 193 elderly subjects with lesions, 80% exhibited only one lesion. There was no difference in prevalence betw een men and women. The more common lesions, each being found in 5-7% o f the elderly, were lingual varicosities, frictional keratosis on the buccal mucosa, denture stomatitis on the palatal mucosa, and denture-i nduced hyperplasia in the maxillary and mandibular buccal sulcus. Dent ure wearers had a higher prevalence of lesions (40%) than nonwearers ( 32%). There was no difference in the prevalence or number of oral muco sal lesions between those defined as users of tobacco and alcohol and those defined as nonusers in this study. No confirmed oral malignancie s were found.