Prevalence of oral mucosal lesions associated with wearing removable dentures in Finnish adults.

Of a representative sample of 8000 persons aged 30 and over living in Finland, 3875 users of removable dentures were examined. The condition of the oral mucosa was recorded during clinical examinations. The prevalence of oral mucosal lesions associated with removable dentures was analyzed according to age, sex, place of residence, geographical region of living, and type and location of prosthesis. Lesions were found in about 50% of the denture wearers. Women were affected more often than men. The prevalence of lesions decreased with age and differed slightly according to region of living and place of residence. Compared with the wearing of partial dentures, wearing complete dentures increased the risk of lesions. Only one of the 72 denture users who wore a denture with metallic base plate had oral mucosal lesions associated with wearing a denture.