An epidemiologic study of tongue lesions in 1901 Iranian dental outpatients

The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of nine tongue conditions and evaluate their relationship to oral hygiene status and personal habits in a Northern Iranian population.

This descriptive study evaluated 1901 healthy subjects (1142 women, 759 men) >12 years who were referred to the Dental Faculty of Babol University during a period from February 2005 to July 2006. A questionnaire was designed according to the aims of the study. Each subject completed the questionnaire and received a complete dental and oral examination. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software and Chi-square and Fisher's exact probability tests.

Six hundred seventy-two (35.3%) of 1901 subjects had tongue lesions with a frequency of 38.6% in women and 47.7% in men which was statistically significant (P<0.0001). A strong association was found between tongue lesions and smoking (p<0.0001), black tea drinking (p=0.021), and poor oral hygiene (p<0.0001). Hairy tongue (p<0.0001), coated tongue (p<0.0001), and fissured tongue (p=0.014) conditions were significantly higher in males, while crenation of the tongue was more frequent in women (p<0.0001).

This epidemiologic survey of adult dental outpatients of Northern Iran assessing tongue conditions and lesions found the frequency of these conditions in 47.7% of males and 38.6% of females in this population. Tongue conditions and lesions were more frequent among smokers, black tea drinkers, and those with poor oral hygiene. The results of this epidemiological survey can only be interpreted for the population studied and as such cannot be generalized to the wider population of Iran, but future studies should be designed to assess the frequency of these conditions on a countrywide basis.

The results of this study suggest efficient oral hygiene programs and encouraging people to drink less tea and quit smoking may reduce tongue lesions in adult dental outpatients in Northern Iran.