Prevalence of diffused melanotic pigmentation of oral mucosa and related factors in dental students of Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 2018-2019

Abstract Background & Aim: The diffused melanotic pigmentation of oral mucosa is referred to any kind of brownish to black diffused and flattened macular and patch in physiologic or pathologic form. This view is important in aesthetic terms, the perception of malignancy, and association with systemic diseases, especially the endocrine glands diseases. Little local studies have been carried out that have many shortcomings; and in this age group, no research has been done in Tehran; hence, we made a study aimed to determine the frequency of the diffused melanotic pigmentation of the oral mucosa and related factors in dental students of Islamic Azad University of Tehran in 2018-2019. Material and Methods: This Cross-Sectional fstudy was performed by cross sectional method. according to a pilot study, 788 subjects were selected and examined through sequential sampling method. The cases were diagnosed clinically. The studied relevant factors included age; sex; smoking, skin color, systemic, syndromic, genetic diseases, as well as inflammatory mucosal diseases (Lichen Planus), etc. After collecting data, the incidence of diffused melanotic pigmentation of oral mucosa was determined by the software spss (version 11), and the role of its related factors was determined by using Chi Square test and regression analysis. Results: The distribution of diffused melanotic pigmentation of oral mucosa among 788 dental students of Islamic Azad University was 28.4%. Pigmentation in men was more prevalent than in women. Dark skin color and smoking had a significant correlation with the incidence of pigmentation (p-value<0.01). Conclusion: the prevalence of diffused melanotic pigmentation of oral mucosa in dental students of Islamic Azad University of Tehran is considerable and in a significant relationship with the dark skin and smoking.