Prevalence of Geographic and Fissured Tongue Abnormalities and Factors Associated Among Dental Students of Tabriz Faculty of Dentistry

Background: Geographic Tongue (GT) and Fissured Tongue (FT) are the most common abnormalities of the tongue that etiopathogenesis of them remains to be clarified. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and the possible factors associated with GT/FT among students of Tabriz Dental School. Methods: This descriptive-analytic study aims to identify the demographic information and clinical features of the GT/ FT among 132 students that were selected by census method. Data were collected by means of a two-part questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software and chi-square test. Results: Geographic tongue was found in 10 (7.58%) students (8 females and 2 males). There were no significant differences between gender and the incidence of this condition (p=0.65). Fissured tongue was present in 20 (15.15%) students (9 females and 11 males). No differences between the lesion and the gender distribution was observed (p=0.132). There was a significant correlation between not brushing teeth and fissured tongue (p=0.034). Conclusion: The results revealed that the oral hygiene may reduce the incidence of FT. The occurrence of GT/FT showed no association with any other systemic conditions and habits.