Poor denture hygiene can cause poor aesthetics, malodor and deleterious effects on oral mucosa. Loose dentures cause discomfort, difficulty in chewing, altered speech and accumulation of food under the denture to the patient. To overcome these issues, dentists should educate their patients regarding denture hygiene to prevent undesirable circumstances and advise use of denture adhesives to improve retention, stability and enhance comfort to patients. Dentists recommend mechanical, chemical and a combination of mechanical and chemical methods to maintain good denture hygiene. Mechanical method by using soft denture brush and chemical method by immersion in denture cleansing solution. The combination of mechanical and chemical method is the most effective method of cleaning dentures. Regular dental visits are required to ensure that there are no potential problems and dentures are fitting and functioning properly. Proper denture care and regular dental check up prevents plaque buildup, maintain aesthetics, increases life span of dentures and reduces the risk of other oral health problems.

1. 21STUDENT DIGEST | MUMBAI | AUGUST 2018
Introduction
Poor denture hygiene and loose dentures are the two common
problems encountered by dentists with complete denture
patients. Poor denture hygiene can cause poor aesthetics,
malodor and deleterious effects on oral mucosa. Loose
dentures cause discomfort, difficulty in chewing, altered
speech and accumulation of food under the denture to the
patient. To overcome these issues, dentists should educate
their patients regarding denture hygiene to prevent undesirable
circumstances and advise use of denture adhesives to improve
retention, stability and enhance comfort to patients.
Denture Adhesives
Denture adhesive is a non-toxic, water-soluble material that is
applied to the denture to improve retention, stability, enhance
comfort to patient and eliminate the accumulation of food
debris beneath the dentures. They are available as a powder,
cream or strips.
Denture Cleansing Agents
Denture cleansers are designed to clean the dentures. They
contain sodium perborate, sodium hypochlorite, sodium
bicarbonate, citric acid, potassium monopersulfate, EDTA,
sodium polyphosphate, dye markers etc. They are available in
the form of creams, pastes, gels, solutions or tablets.
Dr. Kamala D. N.
Group Pharmaceuticals Limited
Bangalore, Karnataka
Sodium perborate tablet is commonly used to clean and
disinfect denture. Sodium perborate undergoes hydrolysis in
contact with water producing hydrogen peroxide, borate and
oxygen. Sodium perborate serves as a source of active oxygen
which helps to remove plaque, stains and deodorize dentures.
Denture Care and Maintenance
Dentists recommend mechanical, chemical and a combination
of mechanical and chemical methods to maintain good denture
hygiene. Mechanical method by using soft denture brush and
chemical method by immersion in denture cleansing solution.
The combination of mechanical and chemical method is the
most effective method of cleaning dentures.
Mechanical method: Dentures, like natural teeth need proper
care to maintain aesthetics and denture hygiene. Dentures
should be brushed at least once a day with a nonabrasive
denture paste. Denture brush that is specifically designed
for cleaning dentures is used. Brushing helps to remove food
debris, prevent plaque and stains on the dentures.
Chemical method: Denture cleansing agents are used to
clean dentures. Dentures are soaked at night in a denture
cleaning solution or water. Duration of soaking dentures in the
cleansing solution varies depending upon the manufacturer’s
instructions. Dentures should be rinsed with clean water
before reinserting the dentures. After every meal, dentures are
rinsed with water to remove any loose food particles.
Denture care: Dentures need to be kept moist when not worn.
Dentures ought to be placed in a denture cleansing solution or
in water. Dentures should never be placed in hot water which
may cause them to warp.
Regular dental visit: Regular dental visits are required to
ensure that there are no potential problems and dentures
are fitting and functioning properly. Proper denture care and
regular dental check up prevents plaque buildup, maintain
aesthetics, increases life span of dentures and reduces the
risk of other oral health problems.
Research
Denture Care
SD August 2018.indd 21 7/23/2018 11:17:39 AM