Patient Awareness of Denture Cleansers: Insights from A Questionnaire Survey

International Journal of Dental Science and Innovative Research (IJDSIR) IJDSIR : Dental Publication Service Available Online at:www.ijdsir.com Volume – 8, Issue – 5, September – 2025, Page No. : 315 - 322 Corresponding Author: Dr Kreeti Sargam, ijdsir, Volume – 8 Issue - 5, Page No. : 315 - 322 Page315 ISSN: 2581-5989 PubMed - National Library of Medicine - ID: 101738774 Patient Awareness of Denture Cleansers: Insights from A Questionnaire Survey 1Dr Kreeti Sargam, PG Resident, Department of Prosthodontics, Crown & Bridge and Implantology, Rishiraj College of Dental Sciences & Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India 2Dr Supriya Singh, PG Resident, Department of Prosthodontics, Crown & Bridge and Implantology, Rishiraj College of Dental Sciences & Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India 3Dr Isha Farikar, PG Resident, Department of Prosthodontics, Crown & Bridge and Implantology, Rishiraj College of Dental Sciences & Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India 4Dr Mohd Faisal Khan, Associate Professor Department of Prosthodontics, Crown & Bridge and Implantology, Rishiraj College of Dental Sciences & Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India 5Dr G.S.Chandu, Professor & HOD, Department of Prosthodontics, Crown & Bridge and Implantology, Rishiraj College of Dental Sciences & Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India Corresponding Author: Dr Kreeti Sargam, PG Resident, Department of Prosthodontics, Crown & Bridge and Implantology, Rishiraj College of Dental Sciences & Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. Citation of this Article: Dr Kreeti Sargam, Dr Supriya Singh, Dr Isha Farikar, Dr Mohd Faisal Khan, Dr G.S. Chandu, “Patient Awareness of Denture Cleansers: Insights from A Questionnaire Survey”, IJDSIRSeptember – 2025, Volume – 8, Issue – 5, P. No. 315 – 322. Copyright: © 2025, Dr Kreeti Sargam, et al. This is an open access journal and article distributed under the terms of the creative common’s attribution non-commercial License. Which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given, and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms. Type of Publication: Original Research Article Conflicts of Interest: Nil Abstract As the incidence of edentulousness is ever rising, the need for dentures as well as their hygiene is of utmost importance. Patient education about the availability together with the pros and cons of the individual denture disinfectant has to be mandatorily done by the dental practitioner. The success of the denture depends not only on accurate clinical and technical procedures carried out by the dentist but also on denture hygiene care practices followed by the patients. Denture care is, therefore, an imperative step to maintain denture quality, aesthetics, and longevity to ensure good oral health status. Hence, the basic objective of this study was to investigate awareness and knowledge about denture cleansers among patients wearing it. Keywords: Chlorhexidine, Denture Cleansers, Hygiene, Oral Health, Oral Tissues Introduction It is often said that “Oral health is the window to overall health” and in edentulous patients it largely depends on denture and its hygiene. When an acrylic denture is placed in the mouth, a pellicle of glycoprotein develops that eventually becomes contaminated with oral debris and microorganisms. This renders the denture with an Dr Kreeti Sargam, et al. International Journal of Dental Science and Innovative Research (IJDSIR) ©2025 IJDSIR, All Rights Reserved Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 Page316 unpleasant taste and odour over time. Moreover, it favours the growth of candida microorganism in the denture, thereby leading to mucosal irritation. Dentists play a vital role not only in the fabrication and delivery of dentures but also in educating patients about their care. Proper cleaning of dentures ensures comfort, function, and prevents infections, intraoral lesions, halitosis, and systemic complications. A structured maintenance and review protocol is essential to minimize post-treatment complications and to reinforce patient motivation.2 Denture cleansers are liquids or dissolvable tablets that contain or release chemicals to help remove malodour, stains and biofilm from removable prostheses; the prostheses are generally immersed in water, with the cleanser then added.3 Denture cleansers can be classified as:4 According To Type: a) Creams b) Pastes c) Gels d) Solutions e) Tablets. According to the mode of action:2 a) Alkaline peroxides b) Reducing Solutions c) Chlorhexidine d) Mild Dilute acids e) Effervescing agents f) Chelating agents g) Detergents h) Enzymes i) Additional compounds j) Disinfectants k) Ozone l) 100% Vinegar m) Denture Wipes Evidence suggests that a significant proportion of complete and partial denture patients leave the dental office with inadequate knowledge regarding denture cleansing practices and the use of chemical disinfectants. The present survey was conducted to assess patients’ knowledge, awareness, and practices regarding denture disinfectants, highlighting the need for improved patient education and professional guidance.2 Method With an intention to evaluate the awareness about denture disinfection in rural Indian population and to study the practices carried out by them in order to maintain the hygiene of their dentures, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Prosthodontics, Crown and Bridge & implantology in Rishiraj College of Dental Sciences and Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh over a duration of 6 months from June 2024 to November 2024 involving 100 participants. Inclusion criteria included patients wearing dentures, willingness to participate in the study and in good physical and mental condition. A questionnaire containing 10 questions was administered. Results This study included 100 denture wearers. The majority of the participants were wearing denture for a duration of >5 years (32%), followed by 1-2 years (26%), followed by <1 year (24%), followed by 2-5 years (18%). Only 16% of the participants reported regular visit to dentist for the maintenance of your denture whereas a large percentage of participants visit dentist sometime (44%) or never (40%) for the same. Most of the participants cleaned their denture after every meal (74%). Only 26% of the participants were aware of denture cleansers. Among the participants having awareness about denture cleansers, majority (12/26= 46.2%) used tablet form of denture Dr Kreeti Sargam, et al. International Journal of Dental Science and Innovative Research (IJDSIR) ©2025 IJDSIR, All Rights Reserved Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 Page317 cleanser. Overall, most of the participants used water + toothbrush (40%). A vast majority of the participants (90%) were not aware of the harmful effects of denture cleansers. Eighteen (18%) participants had tried natural denture cleansers. Sixty-two (62%) of the participants said that they were informed about the maintenance of denture while they received denture. According to 16%, 32%, and 52% the condition of their denture was best, good, and poor respectively. Table 1: Distribution of study subjects based on the response to various questions Question Response Number of subjects (%) Duration since wearing denture <1 year 24 (24%) 1-2 years 26 (26%) 2-5 years 18 (18%) >5 years 32 (32%) Visit to dentist for the maintenance of your denture Yes, always 16 (16%) Sometimes 44 (44%) Never 40 (40%) Frequency of cleaning denture Once a day 26 (26%) After every meal 74 (74%) Twice a week 0 (0%) Few times, not regularly 0 (0%) Aware about denture cleanser Yes 26 (26%) No 74 (74%) Type of denture cleanser used Powder 7 (7%) Tablet 12 (12%) Paste/cream 5 (5%) Gel 2 (2%) Don’t use 74 (74%) Method of cleaning denture Water + tablet 12 (12%) Water + toothbrush + soap 32 (32%) Water + toothbrush 40 (40%) Water only 16 (16%) Awareness about harmful effects of denture cleanser Yes 2 (2%) Yes, to some extent 8 (8%) No 90 (90%) Tried natural denture cleanser Yes 18 (18%) No 82 (82%) Informed about maintenance of denture while Yes 62 (62%) Dr Kreeti Sargam, et al. International Journal of Dental Science and Innovative Research (IJDSIR) ©2025 IJDSIR, All Rights Reserved Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 Page318 delivering denture No 38 (38%) Condition of denture Best 16 (16%) Good 32 (32%) Poor 52 (52%) Figure 1: Distribution of study participants based on duration of denture wearing. Figure 2: Distribution of study participants based on visit to dentist for the maintenance of denture. Figure 3: Distribution of study participants based on cleaning denture. Dr Kreeti Sargam, et al. International Journal of Dental Science and Innovative Research (IJDSIR) ©2025 IJDSIR, All Rights Reserved Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Page319 Figure 4: Distribution of study participants based on awareness about denture cleanser. Figure 5: Distribution of study participants based on type of denture cleanser used. Figure 6: Distribution of study participants based on method of denture cleaning. Dr Kreeti Sargam, et al. International Journal of Dental Science and Innovative Research (IJDSIR) ©2025 IJDSIR, All Rights Reserved Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Page320 Figure 7: Distribution of study participants based on awareness about harmful effects of denture cleanser. Figure 8: Distribution of study participants based on if they have ever tried natural denture cleanser. Figure 9: Distribution of study participants based on being informed about maintenance of denture while delivering denture. Dr Kreeti Sargam, et al. International Journal of Dental Science and Innovative Research (IJDSIR) ©2025 IJDSIR, All Rights Reserved Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Page321 Figure 10: Distribution of study participants based on condition of denture. Discussion Proper denture care is important for both the health of the dentures and the mouth.5 Improper denture care negatively impacts denture clinical longevity and increases denture plaque aggregation.6 To ensure that dentures are free of plaque and calculus, patients are usually instructed on denture hygiene practice. Keeping dentures clean, is part of a good oral health care regimen that saves further risk of unwanted procedures down the road.5 Awareness of any new symptoms and proper guidance to our patients should be stressed more as denture cleansers are a part of the daily life of almost all the denture wearers.2 Hence the dentist plays a significant role in executing the rehabilitation procedure.5 Conclusion It has been observed in this study that most patients are unaware of denture cleansers, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. Dentists are also required to continually update their knowledge about the chemical composition, safety, and effectiveness of denture cleansing agents as inappropriate use may damage prostheses or oral tissues. Furthermore, dental professionals hold responsibility for the patient’s oral health even after treatment is completed. Regular review appointments should be scheduled, not only to assess the condition of the dentures but also to reinforce proper hygiene practices. Such follow-up ensures early detection of mucosal changes, prevention of oral infections, and maintenance of both denture longevity and patient comfort. References 1. Kreher JM, Graser GN, Handelman SL. 1991. Table 1: Questionnaire administered to evaluate awareness disinfection. Eisenberg about denture AD. Oral yeasts, mucosal health, and drug use in an elderly denture-wearing population. Special care in dentistry: official publication of the American Association of Hospital Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry for the Handicapped, and the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry. 11:222-226. 2. Suma Karthikeyan, Leoney A, Seyed Asharaf Ali. Denture disinfectants used in prosthodontics - a review. International Journal of Contemporary Medical Research 2018;5(3):C19-C22. 3. Glossary of Prosthodontic Terms 2023, 10th edition. J Prosthet Dent 2023; 130. 4. Gajwani-Jain S, Magdum D, Karagir A, Pharane P. Denture cleansers: A review. IOSR J Dent Med Sci. 2015;14(2):94-6. doi:10.9790/0853-14249496. Dr Kreeti Sargam, et al. International Journal of Dental Science and Innovative Research (IJDSIR) ©2025 IJDSIR, All Rights Reserved Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 Page322 5. Gauri V, Khushi B, Rucha K, et al. 2019. Evaluation of the awareness regarding denture disinfection in rural Indian population. Int J Biol Med. 1: 37-44. 6. Mylonas P, Milward P, McAndrew R. Denture cleanliness and hygiene: an overview. Br Dent J. 2022;233(1):20-6.