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Introduction The aging process in the elderly can change the condition of the oral cavity, regarding both clinical appearance and function. The oral mucosa becomes more susceptible to mechanical damage and irritant agents. Any changes in the oral mucosa, including normal variance, should be examined. This is especially true for the elderly, to improve oral health and prevent any abnormalities. Objective To describe the prevalence of oral normal variance in healthy elderly patients. Methods An observational descriptive study with a cross-sectional design with total sampling conducted from March to April 2020. Results Among the 117 elderly patients who participated in this study, 58 were described as healthy without any comorbidities. From those subjects, there were 117 cases of normal variance in the oral mucosa. The three most prevalent issues were fissured tongue (93.1%), coated tongue (58.62%), and crenated tongue (27.59%). Conclusion Fissured tongue is a normal variance of the oral mucosa that is commonly found in healthy elderly patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population aged 60 years old and above are growing in number. The increase was due to the increasing life expectancy in Indonesia; a fact that will have an impact on general and oral health in the future. Tongue lesions are related to degenerative diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and heart disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of tongue lesions related to degenerative diseases in the elderly at Ketabang Public Health Center, Surabaya City, East Java. This is an observational descriptive study with a cross-sectional design. Intraoral soft tissue examination was performed by the general dentist and oral medicine specialist in elderly patients coming to Ketabang Public Health Center between January and March 2020. During this period, there were 85 elderly patients with degenerative diseases and prevalence of tongue lesions, namely fissured tongue (77.6%), coated tongue (67.1%), crenated tongue (32.9%), atrophic glossitis (29.4%), lingual varices (12.9%), and oral melanotic macule (1.1%). Fissured tongue is the most common tongue lesion found in 77% elderly patients with degenerative diseases. Fissured tongue often develops with age and in patients with hyposalivation related to diabetes mellitus and anti-hypertension drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]