Prevalence of Oral Mucosal Variations in Healthy Elderly Individuals of Taxila City, Pakistan

Background and objectives Oral mucosal variations, though significant in the aging population, remain under-researched regarding their prevalence and characteristics in local Pakistani population. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of normal oral mucosal variations in the elderly population, providing insights to aid clinicians and researchers. Methodology This cross-sectional, observational, descriptive study was conducted over four months, from December 2023 to March 2024, in the Department of Oral Medicine at HITEC Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) Dental College, Taxila, Pakistan. A total of 385 male and female patients over 60 years of age were examined. Of these, 250 patients met the inclusion criteria. All patients underwent extraoral and intraoral examinations by a consultant in dental medicine with five years of clinical experience. Diagnoses were made following the World Health Organization's Guide to Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Oral Mucosal Diseases. Results Among the N = 143 female patients, approximately 33% (n = 47) exhibited age-related oral mucosal variations, while 23.4% (n = 25) of the N = 107 male patients showed such variations. The most prevalent variation was a coated tongue, found in 8.3% (n = 12) of females and 5% (n = 6) of males, followed by depapillated n = 6 (4.2%) and fissured tongues n = 3 (2.8%) respectively. Sublingual varices were the least common, occurring in 1.4% (n = 2) of females and 1.8% (n = 2) of males. Conclusion This study highlights the prevalence of normal age-related mucosal alterations and their gender predispositions, which can facilitate the development of future health strategies to improve oral health and promote informed care practices.