Hygiene of removable partial denture

Abstract

Introduction: Hygiene of removable dental prostheses is equally important as oral hygiene. Statistical data from the World Health Organization show that people over 65 years of age constitute a larger percentage of the population than newly born children. The number of people using removable dental prostheses increases with age. Older people, often for financial reasons, generally opt for settling dentures. Due to its porous structure, acrylic favors the retention of food residue. As a consequence, the incidence of candidiasis and prosthetic stomatopathy increases in patients using removable acrylic dentures. The aim of the study is to assess the hygiene of the oral cavity and removable dental prostheses.
Materials and methods: A physical examination was carried out to determine the condition of the teeth, oral hygiene, and number/location of missing teeth. Oral hygiene was assessed using the approximal dental plaque index (API). Patients were asked to complete a questionnaire about hygiene and nighttime storage methods for removable dental restorations and whether the doctor provided information on the correct use and storage of prostheses. A physical examination was then performed to determine the hygiene of the restorations. Prosthesis hygiene was evaluated using the hygiene scale of prostheses developed by Frączak et al.
Results and conclusions: The level of oral hygiene in general and hygiene of prosthetic restorations are very low, despite the information obtained from physicians, which indicates that dentists should pay more attention to providing information on oral and prosthesis hygiene, preferably in the form of leaflets.