ORAL LESIONS IN GERIATRIC PATIENTS

Abstract

<h3>Objectives</h3> The aim was to describe the most frequent oral lesions in the elderly. <h3>Study Design</h3> A narrative review was completecd of publications of the last quinquennium, in English and Spanish, on PubMed. By combining "oral health" AND "oral lesions" AND "geriatrics," 36 articles were identified. Studies unrelated to the oral cavity, with different age groups, imaging studies of dental structures, treatments for caries, evaluation after orofacial surgical resection, and case reports were eliminated. Thirteen potentially relevant articles were selected by title. Articles that only evaluated oral health status were excluded. Nine remained under review. <h3>Results</h3> Despite the aging of Brazil's population and worldwide, research on oral conditions that most affect the elderly remains limited. High prevalence of edentulism is often portrayed due to periodontal disease and caries, traumatic stomatologic changes or secondary to medication, and potentially malignant lesions, particularly in elderly women. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Oral tissues undergo functional and structural changes with aging and are often associated with systemic diseases. From the interaction between the state of oral and general health, associated with quality of life, the geriatric population's heterogeneity must guide dental treatment specificity. Therefore, dentists must recognize and manage the oral diseases resulting from local, systemic, pharmacologic, and age-specific conditions to establish early diagnosis and effective treatment.