Abstract
BackgroundAdolescence is a period of transition to adulthood. Little is known about oral mucosal lesions (OMLs) in teenagers, in which the emergence of new habits, unfamiliar to children, could affect the type of lesions.The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of oral mucosal lesions (OMLs) in a wide sample of adolescents.MethodsA retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out examining all medical records of adolescents (aged 13–18 years) treated at the Dental Clinic of the University of Brescia (Italy) in the period from 2008 to 2014. Cases with OMLs were selected. Data regarding age, gender, type of OML, bad habits, systemic chronic diseases were collected.ResultsA total of 6.374 medical records (mean age 15.2 + −1.7 years) were examined. We found 1544 cases (31.7%) of oral mucosal lesions; 36 different types of mucosal alterations were detected and the most frequent were: aphthous ulcers (18%), traumatic ulcerations (14.3%), herpes simplex virus (11%), geographic tongue (9.6%), candidiasis (5.5%), and morsicatio buccarum (4.7%). Papilloma virus lesions (1.7%), piercing-related lesions (4%), multiform erythema (0.13%), oral lichen planus (0.13%) and granular cell tumour (0.06%) were also diagnosed.ConclusionsThe prevalence of OMLs in adolescents are different from those in children and, in some conditions, it could increase with age.
Highlights
Adolescence is a period of transition to adulthood
The investigation of oral mucosal lesions (OMLs) prevalence in specific population groups is mandatory in order to understand its extension and characteristics, but it is important for the improvement of oral health promotion and prevention programs for specific age groups, as recommended by the World Health Organization [7]
In a previous report [2], we evaluated the prevalence of OMLs in a wide sample of children, including both those who were healthy and those who had a chronic disease, aged 0–12 years
Summary
Adolescence is a period of transition to adulthood. Little is known about oral mucosal lesions (OMLs) in teenagers, in which the emergence of new habits, unfamiliar to children, could affect the type of lesions. Epidemiological studies of oral mucosal lesions (OMLs) are still poor, if compared with reports regarding dental caries or periodontal diseases [1]. This gap is even more apparent in case of children and adolescents, where studies focus above all on cancer patients or on samples with specific chronic diseases [2, 3]. In a previous report [2], we evaluated the prevalence of OMLs in a wide sample of children, including both those who were healthy and those who had a chronic disease, aged 0–12 years. This study focuses on a different age group, which is that of teenagers, in order to determine the prevalence of OMLs in adolescence
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