Assessment of denture hygiene habits among complete denture wearers attending Sulaimani Dental School

The purpose of the study was to record self-reported hygiene habits and examine the influence of denture hygiene level on the prevalence and intensity of denture stomatitis and traumatic ulcers in the edentulous maxilla of older patients wearing a complete maxillary denture. The study population comprised 38 maxillary complete denture (UCD) wearers (20 males and 18 females) aged 50–80 attending prosthodontics department of Sulaimani School of Dentistry. Denture hygiene habits were assessed and recorded. Biofilm on the internal surface of UCD was quantified using digital photos. Any relationships between denture hygiene habits, denture plaque and the condition of oral tissue were assessed.Of the participants, 94.7% cleaned their dentures with a toothbrush and 50% of them used toothpaste as cleaning method. The majority of them did not remove their dentures overnight and knew nothing about chemical denture cleansers for denture immersion. Only 26.3% of participants received instruction about denture and oral care from their dentists. Stomatitis was observed in 68.4% and traumatic ulcers in 18.4% of participants. A positive relation was observed between overnight removal of the denture and the presence of denture-related stomatitis. Data was analyzed using Chi-square test (P < 0.05).The degree of denture hygiene was significantly associated with sex, education, and overnight denture removal. No significant relation was found between denture plaque and denture stomatitis.Participants surveyed had limited awareness of denture hygiene care.