Prevalence of Oral Lesions among Elderlies Living in Nursing Homes of Urmia City, Iran

Abstract

Background & Aims: Due to the existing problems in providing services to the elderlies with special cares, the focus on the prevention of oral diseases in this group is of special importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of oral lesions in elderlies’ resident in Nursing homes of Urmia City, Iran in 2020. Materials & Methods: In the present descriptive cross-sectional study, 300 elderly people over 65 years were selected from 9 nursing homes in Urmia, Iran and finally 280 of them were included. Data were collected using examinations, and by searching medical records and conducting interviews. The necessary information about any systemic diseases and drug consumption were obtained and a questionnaire was completed. Finally, data were analyzed by relevant statistical tests using SPSS software version 19. Results: From 280 people participated in the study 90 (32.1%) were men and 190 (67.9%) were women. Among all participants, 122 (43.6%) reported at least one oral lesion, and there was a significant difference between women (49.5%) and men (31.1%) (P = 0.001). In this study, 10 different types of lesions were recorded, the most common of which were oral candidiasis (16.1%) and denture stomatitis (10.7%). There was no significant relationship between age and smoking with the frequency of oral lesions (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The results suggested that the prevalence of lesions in the elderly inhabiting in retirements homes is high especially in women. Therefore, regular oral screening of the people can play an important role in early diagnosis and prevention.

Keywords

• oral lesions
• nursing homes
• oral care
• prevalence