Oral mucosal lesions among elderly in Israel

The prevalence of ulcerative or proliferative oral mucosal lesions (OML) is an important parameter in evaluating the oral health of an elderly population. This paper relates the prevalence of OML in an elderly population to possible risk factors and defined high-risk groups. The second objective was to examine whether effective prediction of OML was possible from interview data alone. The elderly population of a Jerusalem neighborhood was surveyed in 1981: 456 elderly were interviewed by trained interviewers, and their oral cavities were examined by an oral epidemiologist. Specific diagnoses were confirmed by an independent senior clinician. Almost 40% of the elderly presented ulcerative or proliferative oral mucosal lesions. The prevalence of these OML was strongly related to the condition and age of dentures. The association between these OML and oral hygiene disappeared after controlling for the condition of the denture. Two variables ascertained by interview--age of denture and self-reported suitability of denture--turned out to be strong predictors of denture condition.