Surveys have shown that many people do not clean their dentures effectively and suggest that the dental team may fail to educate patients in basic denture hygiene procedures. Poor denture hygiene can result in denture staining and malodour and is a risk factor for oral and systemic diseases. Methods available to clean dentures are described. Their modes of action, effectiveness and potential adverse effects are discussed. A combination of cleaning methods is probably more effective than any one method. Recommendations for effective denture cleaning that can be given to patients by the dental team are provided.
CPD/Clinical Relevance: The dental team needs to explain effective approaches to denture hygiene to patients. Written information should also be provided to reinforce the message.
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Accumulations of plaque and debris on dentures can lead to denture staining, micro-organism overgrowth, unpleasant odour and calculus formation. Poor denture hygiene is a risk factor for oral diseases, including caries, periodontal disease and denture-related stomatitis (Figure 1). Antifungal treatment reduces oral Candida albicans colonization associated with denture-related stomatitis. However, unless dentures are decontaminated and their cleanliness maintained, stomatitis will recur when antifungal therapy is discontinued.1 Micro-organisms from the oral cavity can also colonize distant tissues by entering the systemic circulation or through aspiration. Oral bacteria have been implicated in several systemic diseases, including bacterial endocarditis, infections of the respiratory tract and heart disease.2 Overnight denture-wearing is associated with an approximately 2- to 3-fold greater risk of the incidence of pneumonia in older patients.3
Effective denture cleaning is therefore important and there is a wide variety of materials and methods available to clean dentures4 (Figure 2). Misuse of cleaning materials, however, may have an adverse effect on denture materials. Furthermore, case reports have described allergic reactions to cleanser products. Serious harm has also been sustained by patients who have misunderstood, failed to read or ignored cleaning instructions and have ingested or aspirated denture cleansing agents.5
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