Frequency of Oral Mucosal Lesions and Awareness of these Lesions in Patients Attending Oral and Maxillofacial Clinic in Sari Dental School, Iran

Background and purpose: There are considerable differences in prevalence of oral lesions in different parts of the world. Few studies are done on this problem in Iran, so this study aimed at investigating the prevalence of oral lesions and awareness of these lesions in patients attending Oral and Maxillofacial Clinic in Sari Dental School, Iran. Materials and methods: A Descriptive study was performed in all patients aged ≥12 years in 2015-2016. Demographic and clinical features were recorded in a checklist. Results: The subjects were 391 males and 680 females (aged 12-19 years old). Among the patients 388 had no oral lesions but 683 were found with oral lesions. Awareness of the lesions was observed only in 8.49% of the patients. The most frequent lesion was coated tongue including 246 people, and lowest frequencies lesions were vascular malformations, hemorrhagic macule and fibrosarcoma with conflict in one person. Conclusion: High frequency of oral lesions and lack of awareness about them calls for periodic oral mucosal examinations such as dental examinations.