Orofacial and general disorders in oral medicine patients. Oral and medical history.

The aim of this study was to discover possible connections between general diseases and oral mucosal disorders, and between different oral symptoms by studying the prevalence of various such conditions in oral medicine patients. For this study 2640 consecutive patients (841 men, 1799 women) were interviewed concerning orofacial and systemic symptoms and diseases. The report includes all patients and the main diagnostic groups were: oral lichen planus/lichenoid (OLP), oral dysfunction (OD), recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), oral candidosis (CAN), hyposalivation (HSA), reactive lesions (REA), and leukoplakia (LEU). Results were compared to a reference group (REF) and the normal population (NOP) (when possible). Fifty-eight per cent of all patients experienced oral smarting and orofacial pain and 36% subjective dryness.Women were more often affected. The OD, OLP, RAS and HSA groups reported significantly more orofacial pain and headache than the REF group. Tobacco was used by 17%. LEU and CAN patients had the highest frequencies, 65% and 39%. In the total patient sample cardiovascular diseases were noted in 24%, gastrointestinal disorders in 48%, skin symptoms in 45%, diabetes in 6% and thyroid diseases in 10%. The HSA and OD patients had significantly more gastrointestinal and the HSA and CAN more endocrine disorders than the NOP and REF groups. Forty-seven per cent of the women were postmenopausal and 28% reported vaginal complaints. Vaginal symptoms were most common in HSA patients (45%), 58% of them also stating dry eyes. Prolonged general pain was frequent, especially in HSA, OD, and OLP patients where significant differences were noted to the references. Women were most often affected. Psychological problems were recorded for 53% and were correlated to oral smarting, orofacial and back pain. Orofacial and general pain, symptoms from other epithelial organs, and psychological problems as well as correlation between the different disorders were frequent in oral medicine patients.