Poor oral hygiene habits and wearing dentures while sleeping are predisposing factors for denture-induced stomatitis, according to a study in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene (August 2010, Vol. 8:3, pp. 227-231).
Researchers from King Saud University set out to determine the prevalence of denture-induced stomatitis among a sample of denture wearers attending a teaching hospital. They interviewed and examined 71 denture wearers. A questionnaire with 20 questions was used to help determine denture hygiene level and method, age, gender, and objective and subjective severities of lesions.
The researchers found a 62% incidence of denture-induced stomatitis in both arches, with no difference between the maxillary and mandibular arches. Denture hygiene was found to be good in 21.1% of the sample, fair in 43.6%, and poor in 35.2%. The incidence of denture-induced stomatitis was higher in elderly patients, and the researchers found a significant association between the presence of denture-induced stomatitis and denture hygiene habits and sleeping with dentures (p < 0.05).
Dentists and dental hygienists should routinely provide postplacement denture hygiene instructions to educate and motivate patients, the researchers concluded.
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