Summary
Lingual pathologies and conditions constitute a considerable proportion of the total lesions of the oral mucosa.The epidemiological studies that describe its frequency in the pediatric population are limited and variable. The objective of this study was to establish the frequency of pathologies and lingual conditions in children attended at the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Chile. An observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out where pediatric patients between 4 and 13 years of both sexes were examined. Of a total of 179 patients, 53 % had at least one pathology or lingual condition. The age range of 11 to 13 years presented a higher OR of presenting lesions and/or lingual conditions when compared with the other age ranges (p value <0.05). The most frequent pathology or lingual condition was coated tongue (39 %), fast due to the fissured tongue (15 %), the hypertrophy of the lingual papillae (5 %) and the geographic tongue (3 %). The most frequent location was the lingual base with 59 % of the total frequency registered. Based on the little evidence that exists and the high frequency found in this research, the importance of knowledge of pathologies and lingual conditions in children should be highlighted. Through this study, foundations are laid for future investigations that help dentists recognize, diagnose, and treat these conditions when necessary.
KEY WORDS: frequency, language, oral pathology, children.
How to cite this article
MOLINA, N. A. P.; MONDACA, C. P.; KONG, G. V.; ESPINOZA, S. I. & PENNACCHIOTTI, V. G. Frequency of pathologies and conditions of tongue observed in pediatric population. Int. J. Odontostomat., 15(3):670-673, 2021.
