Diagnosis and treatment of common oral lesions found in the elderly

A wide variety of oral lesions are recognized in the geriatric patient. The most common lesions include neoplasia, immunologic based mucosal disease, hematological disorders, oral manifestation of systemic disease, and conditions characterized by oral or facial pain. Diagnostic and treatment considerations for leukoplakia, carcinoma, metastatic disease, candidiasis, herpes zoster, plasmacytoma, myeloma, lymphoma, several of the more common vesiculoulcerative mucosal diseases and idiopathic burning mouth syndrome are presented.