eMedicine Specialties > Dermatology > Diseases of the Oral Mucosa

Oral Frictional Hyperkeratosis: Follow-up

Author: Catherine M Flaitz, DDS, MS, Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Dental Branch
Coauthor(s): Alfredo Aguirre, DDS, MS, Director of Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Training Program, Professor, Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo; Jose Luis Tapia, DDS, MS, Assistant Professor, Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jul 27, 2009

Follow-up

Further Outpatient Care

  • The patient should receive follow-up care to ensure the frictional area is resolving.

Deterrence/Prevention

  • Removing the frictional irritant resolves the condition. Irritants include tissue chewing or sucking, ill-fitting or irregularly surfaced dentures, jagged teeth, poorly adapted dental restorations, and constant mastication on edentulous alveolar ridges.
  • If dental prostheses fit poorly or are broken, relining or fabricating new removable partial and full dentures decreases the development of frictional keratosis.
  • Wearing an occlusal splint may be useful for decreasing or eliminating cheek and lip biting.

Complications

  • No significant complications are associated with frictional keratosis. This reactive lesion has no propensity for malignant transformation.
  • The risk of mutilating the buccal and labial mucosa following local anesthesia for dental treatment is increased, especially in children with lesions due to cheek biting. Both the child and the parent should be warned of the potential complication of unconsciously traumatizing the tissues because of this chronic habit.20

Prognosis

  • The prognosis for frictional keratosis is excellent; resolution is usually accomplished when the frictional element is eliminated. Most lesions resolve in 1-3 weeks following the removal of the causative factor.

Patient Education

  • Encourage patients to stop any habit that may be implicated with this lesion. If the putative traumatic factors are eliminated and no resolution of the lesions ensues, advise the patient that a biopsy is indicated.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Failure to make a definitive diagnosis and to rule out epithelial dysplasia or neoplasia if a clinically diagnosed frictional keratosis lesion does not resolve is a serious potential pitfall.
 
Acknowledgments

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous Chief Editor, William D. James, MD, and previous author, Alan Drinnan, MB, ChB, FDS, DDS, to the development and writing of this article.



More on Oral Frictional Hyperkeratosis

Overview: Oral Frictional Hyperkeratosis
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Oral Frictional Hyperkeratosis
Treatment & Medication: Oral Frictional Hyperkeratosis
Follow-up: Oral Frictional Hyperkeratosis
Multimedia: Oral Frictional Hyperkeratosis
References
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Further Reading

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Keywords

oral frictional hyperkeratosis, FK, frictional keratosis, friction keratosis, oral friction keratosis, oral lesion, denture friction, broken teeth, fractured, teeth, oral hyperkeratinization, toothbrush keratosis, tongue thrust keratosis, chronic cheek biting, chronic lip biting, cheek bite keratosis, lip bite keratosis, morsicatio buccarum, morsicatio linguorum, ridge callus, oral ridge callus

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Catherine M Flaitz, DDS, MS, Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Dental Branch
Catherine M Flaitz, DDS, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, American Academy of Oral Medicine, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, International Association for Dental Research, and International Association of Oral Pathologists
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Alfredo Aguirre, DDS, MS, Director of Advanced Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Training Program, Professor, Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo
Alfredo Aguirre, DDS, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Jose Luis Tapia, DDS, MS, Assistant Professor, Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Daniel J Hogan, MD, Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine (Dermatology), NOVA Southeastern University; Investigator, Hill Top Research, Florida Research Center
Daniel J Hogan, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American Contact Dermatitis Society, and Canadian Dermatology Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Michael J Wells, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Michael J Wells, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, and Texas Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Drore Eisen, MD, DDS, Consulting Staff, Department of Dermatology, Dermatology Research Associates of Cincinnati
Drore Eisen, MD, DDS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American Academy of Oral Medicine, and American Dental Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Catherine Quirk, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Brown University
Catherine Quirk, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Dirk M Elston, MD, Director, Department of Dermatology, Geisinger Medical Center
Dirk M Elston, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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