Denture care practices and perceived denture status among complete denture wearers in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh: A cross-sectional study

Background: With an increase in the prevalence of edentulous individuals the need for conventional dentures has also been increasing to improve the quality of life of such individuals as they are associated with aesthetic, psychological, functional, and social impacts of life. However, if proper denture care practices are not followed, there is a risk of developing a multitude of problems. The aim of this study is to assess the denture care practices among complete denture wearers attending a dental institution in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of prosthodontics at SIBAR Institute of Dental Sciences, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. A sample of 543 denture wearers aged 45 and above was requested to complete a self-administered questionnaire on denture care practices followed by clinical examination of denture status by the dentist. Results: Most study participants reported cleaning their dentures once a day with brush and water and had a habit of removing the dentures at night. 82.7% of the individuals reported their denture status as good. Clinical examination revealed that slightly more than half of the participants had poor denture status. Conclusion: The actual denture status of individuals in this study is poor which highlights the need for denture hygiene reinforcement among them.