Prevalence of Recurrent Aphthous Ulcers Among Dentistry Students’ in Kabul, Afghanistan: A Questionnaire-Based Study

INTRODUCTION: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the mouth’s most common and painful inflammatory ulcerative condition, also called aphthae or canker sores. Its prevalence is about 20% and predisposition factors involve genetics, environmental factors, and immune dysfunctions. OBJECTIVE: Reviewing the literature and no study was found to show the prevalence and associated factors of recurrent aphthous ulceration in the context of Afghanistan. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the lifetime prevalence and associated factors of recurrent aphthous ulceration among dentistry students at Kabul University of Medical Sciences, Afghanistan. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was carried out among 223 dentistry students. A descriptive and inferential analysis was performed to find the association. RESULTS: The prevalence of (RAS) in our sample group was 30%. (68.7%) of participants had one or more family members who experienced aphthous ulcers and the association was found to be significant (X(2) = 134.940; p < 0, 05). (81%) of participants experienced the condition to eating certain types of food (X(2) = 165.906; p < 0, 05) and (53.7%) of them reported the same about trauma (X(2) = 99.958; p < 0, 05). Regarding stress the difference was also statistically significant (X(2) = 56.830; p < 0, 05). CONCLUSION: We found that a considerable proportion of the study sample had experienced recurrent aphthous ulceration. Family history, stress, trauma, and dietary factors have an impact on the occurrence of RAS with no association with gender and smoking.