Characteristics of patients who perceive dental treatment as a cause of oral mucosal lesions

This retrospective study aims to investigate the proportion and characteristics of patients who perceive dental treatment (DT) as a cause of oral mucosal lesions (OMLs). A total of 2,302 patients with OMLs visited the Oral Medicine Department of Pusan National University Dental Hospital. The patients were divided into a study group (280 patients who perceived DT as a cause of OMLs) and a control group (300 randomly selected patients). Percentages of DT types, clinical characteristics, and the frequencies of diagnoses and chief complaint (CC) sites were analyzed in both groups. Among the patients with OMLs, 12.2% attributed OMLs to DT. Among the diagnoses, allergic reaction (AR) and traumatic ulcer/irritation (TU) were significantly more frequent in the study group. The DT types most frequently perceived as the cause of OMLs were implants. According to patients, TU and candida occurred most frequently following denture placement (68-79%), whereas oral lichen planus and AR occurred most commonly following implant treatment (52-53%). The gingiva was significantly more frequent as the CC site in the study group than in the control group (P < 0.05 for all outcomes). It is important to inform patients of the potential complications of DT and the importance of regular check-ups.