Abstract
BackgroundRetrospective studies to assess the distribution of oral diseases (ODs) are helpful in estimating the prevalence of oral diagnoses in the population, and thus help in preventive and curative services. Prevalence and frequency data for ODs are available from many countries, but information from Chile is scarce.Material and MethodsThis study investigated the frequency of ODs in a Chilean population. For this, we included all patients treated at the University of Talca (UTALCA, Chile) between 2001 and 2014. Patient characteristics were retrieved from medical files. To contextualize our results, we conducted a systematic review (SystRev) using Publish or Perish software (PoP), Google Scholar and MEDLINE/PubMed.ResultsOne hundred sixty-six ODs were diagnosed, and the most prevalent groups were soft tissue tumours, epithelial pathology and salivary gland pathology. Individually, irritation fibroma, oral lichen planus (OLP) and mucocele were the most common diagnoses. ODs frequently affected unspecified parts of the mouth (including cheek, vestibule and retromolar area), gum, lips, tongue and palate. In the SystRev, the more studied diagnoses were leukoplakia, OLP and recurrent aphthous stomatitis; prevalent lesions included Fordyce’s spots, recurrent aphthous stomatitis and fissured tongue. Chilean patients and SistRev shared almost all ODs.ConclusionsThe results reflect ODs diagnosed in a specialized service of oral pathology and medicine in Chile and will allow the establishment of preventive/curative policies, adequate health services and dentistry curriculum. Key words:Stomatognathic diseases, mouth diseases, oral mucosal lesions, epidemiology, Chilean population, retrospective cohort study.
Highlights
Oral medicine is a nonsurgical dental discipline that is focused on the diagnosis and management of medical conditions that affect the oral and maxillofacial territories (1)
Retrospective studies to assess the distribution of oral diseases (ODs) are helpful in estimating the prevalence of oral diagnoses in the population, and help in preventive and curative services
Two studies coincided in presenting denture-related stomatitis and irritation fibroma as among the most frequent diseases in the Chilean elderly (4,5)
Summary
Oral medicine is a nonsurgical dental discipline that is focused on the diagnosis and management of medical conditions that affect the oral and maxillofacial territories (1). Prevalence and frequency data for ODs are available from many countries, but information from Chile is scarce. The few available studies for the country describe specific diseases, and data are from paediatric and elderly patients. In Chilean paediatric patients, Zúñiga et al showed that mucocele was the most commonly found lesion, followed by pyogenic granuloma and irritation fibroma (3). Two studies coincided in presenting denture-related stomatitis and irritation fibroma as among the most frequent diseases in the Chilean elderly (4,5). Irritation fibroma (102 cases, 10.2%), oral lichen planus (58, 5.8%) and mucocele (54, 5.4%) were the most frequent diseases. Mucocele (28, 10.3 %), irritation fibroma (25, 9.2 %) and pyogenic granuloma (17, 6.3 %) were the most common oral diseases.
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