Dr.Glory Fengade, Dr. Saumya Sharma, Dr. Sanjeev Singh, Dr. Gulab Chand Baig
Post-graduate Student
Professor and Head of Department,
Professorr,
Associate Professor,
Department of Prosthodontics, Crown &Bridge,
Maitri College of Dentistry and Research Centre, Anjora, Durg.
Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Memorial Health Sciences and Ayush University of Chhattisgarh.
ABSTRACT :
Introduction: Cleansing and disinfecting of dentures are essential for the maintenance of oral soft tissue health and successful use of removable dentures. Therefore, dentists need to inform their patients regarding denture cleansing regimen for the prevention of undesirable circumstances.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the dentist’s attitudes towards denture cleansing.
Methodology: A descriptive observational study was conducted using google doc among 2500 dental practitioners with a response rate of 92%.
Results: The survey revealed that the most recommended cleansing method was the combination method (91.7%) that is brushing and soaking. Clinsodent cleansing tablets were the most frequently preferred (53.57%) brand of commercial cleansing tablet.
Conclusion: Though the dental professionals instructed regarding denture cleansing. Dental professionals must have current knowledge of denture cleansing strategies to maximize the service offered to denture patients.
KEYWORDS: Denture care, Cleansing, Disinfecting.
Citations: Fengade G, Sharma S, Singh S, Baig G. Denture hygiene- Dentist’s Approach Towards It: A Questionnaire-Based Survey. J Prosthodont Dent Mater 2021;2(1): 17-22.
INTRODUCTION :
Oral hygiene has ancient roots; the first reference toward maintenance of oral hygiene by people was in the form of “chewing sticks.” As early as 3500 BC, the Babylonians used chewing sticks taken from special aromatic trees designed to clean the teeth and freshen breath. Using a toothbrush is the most common device of brushing teeth for many people around the world to achieve oral hygiene. Mechanical tooth cleaning using a toothbrush is considered the most common ways of disturbing dental plaque development.
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The primary objective of maintaining the complete denture is to prevent the occurrence of lesions like commissural cheilitis, burning mouth syndrome, mouth ulcer, denture irritation hyperplasia, gagging leading to caries and periodontal disease in the oral cavity. In elderly patients, care of the mucosal tissues and the dentures of the edentulous mouth is very important for overall health. However, Patients oral and denture hygiene habits, frequency of use, and methods of choice for denture cleaning may vary in different societies as well as among individuals.
The main aim of cleaning the denture is to remove the plaque adhering to the denture which will eventually eliminate the cause of denture stomatitis and decreases the presence of micro-organisms on the denture which has been known to act as a reservoir of micro-organisms involved in systemic diseases like aspiration pneumonia, endocarditis and diabetes. Cleansing and disinfecting of dentures are essential for the maintenance of oral soft tissue health and successful use of removable dentures. Therefore, dentists need to inform their patients regarding denture cleansing regimen for the prevention of undesirable circumstances.
METHODOLOGY :
A descriptive, cross-sectional observational study was designed and approved by the Institutional Ethical Committee. A questionnaire proforma was validated consisting of 15 single answer multiple-choice type questions. This questionnaire was sent to 2500 dentists via Google Docs through mail and responses were collected. The questionnaire comprised of following questions related to the attitudes of dentists towards denture hygiene instruction delivery to their patients.
1. Do you instruct your patients regarding the denture cleansing methods at the time of denture insertion?
2. If yes which brush do you recommend for denture cleansing?
3. Is regular toothpaste advisable for denture cleansing?
4. What is the frequency of cleaning the denture recommended by you?
5. What kind of medium do you use for instructions?
6. Do you educate your patients regarding the relationship between denture hygiene, oral hygiene, oral health and systemic health?
7. Do you advise them to remove their dentures at night?
8. Do you recall your patients for periodic denture checkup and oro-mucosal evaluation?
9. Do dentures accumulate plaque?
10. Does oral plaque on complete denture is associated with conditions like denture stomatitis and other systemic diseases?
11. Does cleaning the tissue bearing side (fitting surface) of the denture affect its retention in the mouth?
12. Which method(s) do you recommend to your patients for providing denture hygiene?
13. Does the placement of denture in the cleansing solution for a longer period damage the dentures?
14. Do you advise your patients to thoroughly rinse the dentures after soaking and brushing with denture cleansing solutions prior to reinsertion into the oral cavity?
15. Which brands of commercial cleansing tablets available in the market do you know and recommend?
RESULTS :
Out of 2500 practitioners who received the questionnaires, 2300 participated in the study so the response rate is 92%. The table shows the responses of dental practitioners towards denture cleansing.
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DISCUSSION :
The knowledge of dentists plays a vital role in the maintenance of denture hygiene. The dentists must have ample knowledge of denture hygiene and apply this knowledge to train and instruct their patients on the significance of denture hygiene maintenance. Moreover, it is also necessary to recall their patients on regular intervals to ensure that the hygiene is maintained. The present study aimed to assess the denture hygiene knowledge, attitude and practice toward patient education in denture care among dental practitioners.
In this survey, viewpoints and preferences of 2300 dentists about cleansing methods and frequencies were investigated. It was revealed that almost all (99.6%) of practitioners gave instructions to their patients about denture cleansing after delivery of dentures and they recommend denture cleansing brush (64.9%) for cleaning.
Cleansing and disinfecting of dentures are fundamental for the support of oral delicate tissue wellbeing. In the present survey, the most recommended cleaning frequency was once daily (49.1%). For that 92% of dentists recommended a combination of brushing and soaking solutions for cleaning of dentures. Brushing alone, with or without a dentifrice, is an inadequate approach for controlling denture plaque. Less than one hour soaking in one of the commercial effervescent products is both effective means for cleaning dentures.
When asked about the medium of instructions used to provide denture cleansing information; (20%) reported to be using only verbal medium and a mere (47%) of the subjects provided a verbal and practical demonstration. They also educate their patients regarding the relationship between denture hygiene, oral hygiene, oral health and systemic health. Data analysis in this study showed that (99.6%) dentist recommend removing patients dentures at night. In the current study, the majority (84.6%) of the participants reported that dentures accumulate plaque and oral plaque on complete denture is associated with conditions like denture stomatitis and other systemic diseases. Because of accumulated plaque, the person with an unclean denture is likely unaware of the unpleasant smell and taste of the prosthesis, but gustatory experiments have confirmed impairment in taste and smell perception of external stimuli under circumstances of poor denture hygiene. Denture plaque serves as a source of infectious oral material available for aspiration, particularly in persons with the limited salivary flow. Metabolic by-products and exotoxins in the deposits can be irritating to oral tissues.
Cleaning the tissue bearing side (fitting surface) of the denture does not affect its retention in the mouth and this was reported by most of the participants (55.7%). This finding was comparable with Suresan V. et al.However, the majority (91.7%) reported that they recall their patients for periodic denture checkup and oro-mucosal evaluation.
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CONCLUSION :
The current study revealed that Dentist needs to have a working knowledge of the range of techniques and materials that are available for cleaning dentures and keeping them in a hygienic state so that they can instruct patients appropriately. Several educational and motivational camps should be conducted to increase the awareness about denture cleanliness among the older subjects.
Conflict of interest: Nil
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