Denture stomatitis in an elderly edentulous Asian population

Abstract

Denture stomatitis is a common oral disease in denture wearers. Multiple aetiological and predisposing factors are believed to be responsible for its initiation and progression. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between denture age, denture hygiene habits, denture wearing and denture cleanliness in an elderly edentulous Asian population. Seventy-five edentulous patients, all wearing maxillary complete dentures were divided into two groups. The test group comprised 36 patients (14 male and 22 female) with Type II denture stomatitis. The control group comprised 39 subjects (14 male and 25 female) with clinically healthy palatal mucosa. A standardized interview and clinical appraisal were carried out. The dye disclosing method was used to assess denture cleanliness and the resultant staining pattern scored. Statistical appraisal between the two groups revealed significant differences in denture hygiene habits (P < 0.05), denture wearing behaviour (P < 0.01) and denture cleanliness (P < 0.01). No significant difference was observed in the age of dentures between the test group and controls (P > 0.05). In the studied Asian edentulous population, a relationship between denture hygiene habits, denture wearing behaviour and denture cleanliness to the presence of denture stomatitis was observed.

Risk Factors Associated with Denture Stomatitis in Healthy Subjects Attending a Dental School in Southeast Iran

“…However, overnight denture-wear was found to be a major risk factor in Jeganathan's study, 14 and this is consistent with the present findings. It is possible that the similarity in the identified DS risk factors is somehow related to the study design.…”

“…13 Some studies have reported the continuous and round-the-clock wearing of dentures as an aetiological local factor involved in the pathogenesis of DS. 14,15 Poorlyfabricated dentures have a lot of porosities in their acrylic base, which encourages the adhesion of C. albicans, making it difficult to maintain denture hygiene. 1,7 The frequency of dental visits by denturewearing patients each year and the number of years since denture manufacture (denture age) have also been reported as local factors contributing to DS.…”

“…1 Various studies on the aetiology of DS have indicated that diabetes mellitus and smoking might have a role in inducing the lesion. 5,7,16 A review of 15 studies, published in the years 1989-2011 in various parts of the world, on the factors involved in the pathogenesis of DS, showed that the most significant factors are continuous and overnight denture-wearing; [3][4][5][8][9][10][11] poor denture hygiene; 2,4,12,[17][18][19] smoking; [14][15][16]20,21 denture age and poor denture manufacturing techniques; 22,23 low serum levels of vitamin A; young age, and the number of visits to the dental surgery. 7 Nimri showed that nocturnal denture-wearing habits, deficient oral and denture hygiene, and cigarette smoking were all important predisposing factors to DS; however, none of these factors was the sole cause of mucosal inflammation.…”

“…7 In their study on an Asian edentulous population, Jeganathan et al observed a relationship between denture hygiene habits, denture-wearing behaviours, denture cleanliness and the presence of DS. 14 The treatment of patients with DS does not yield high success rates because of its complex aetiology; there is also no uniform treatment protocol for all patients. 1,12 On the other hand, with an increase in the proportion of elderly persons in various communities, the identification of the specific aetiological factors of the condition is of utmost importance.…”

“…The majority of studies carried out in this regard have been designed to examine a large number of cases in a cross-sectional manner to determine DS prevalence definitively; however, the design of the present study (information collected on: denturemanufacture date; denture-manufacturer; the way in which the patient washed his/her hands; the overnight wearing of dentures by the patient; the number of annual dental check-ups and tobacco use) was similar to that of studies carried out by Jeganathan et al 14 and Kulak et al 27 Both of these studies highlighted poor denture hygiene as a significant risk factor for DS, which is not consistent with the results of the present study. However, overnight denture-wear was found to be a major risk factor in Jeganathan's study, 14 and this is consistent with the present findings.…”