Dentures: Causes of problems faced by wearers
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Designing dentures
A well-designed denture can restore chewing ability, improve speech, have aesthetic appeal and help maintain overall oral health.1
Creating functional and comfortable dentures requires careful custom planning and consideration of the following factors:1,2
- Clinical
- Anatomical
- Technical
Principles of good denture design
![Denture outline on orange background](https://i-cf65.ch-static.com/content/dam/cf-consumer-healthcare/health-professionals/en_NZ/icons/GEP284_Immediate_Dentures.png?auto=format)
Three overarching principles form the foundation of good denture design
For good denture design, the three overarching principles are:
- Retention The denture should be resistant to the forces that can cause it to move vertically away from supporting tissues, that is, the movement of the saddle away from the ridge.2,3
- Stability The denture should be as stable as possible, resisting any lateral movement and avoiding constant reminders of its physical presence in the patient’s mouth.3-5
- Support The denture should be resistant to the forces that may cause it to move towards the supporting tissues, that is, movement of the saddle towards the ridge.4
![Dentist with patient](https://i-cf65.ch-static.com/content/dam/cf-consumer-healthcare/health-professionals/en_NZ/denture-care/GEP266_Patient_Looking_At_XRay_Image.jpg?auto=format)
Restricted oral anatomy and denture retention/stability
Restrictions in patient oral anatomy can limit denture retention and stability.6,7Well-fitting denture performance can be limited by patients’ oral anatomy,2 and can be gradually affected by bone resorption over time.7,8
![Oral anatomy](https://i-cf65.ch-static.com/content/dam/cf-consumer-healthcare/health-professionals/en_NZ/denture-care/GEP267_Oral_Anatomy_Image.jpg1.jpg?auto=format)
Impact of oral anatomy
Factors limiting retention:
- Surface area defined by individual oral anatomy6
- Small lower jaw
- Flat alveolar ridges
- Small basal seat
Patient impact:
- Low denture retention6,8 and stability7
- Poor chewing ability7,8
- Poor denture satisfaction7
Poor denture hygiene can compromise oral health9–11
Inadequate denture cleaning may lead to denture stomatitis19,20
![Infographic](https://i-cf65.ch-static.com/content/dam/cf-consumer-healthcare/health-professionals/en_NZ/icons/GSK_GEP_271.png?auto=format)
Up to 88% of denture wearers do not clean their dentures effectively.21
![Infographic](https://i-cf65.ch-static.com/content/dam/cf-consumer-healthcare/health-professionals/en_NZ/icons/GSK_GEP_272.png?auto=format)
Up to 67% of full denture wearers have denture stomatitis.19
![Denture stomatitis Still](https://i-cf65.ch-static.com/content/dam/cf-consumer-healthcare/health-professionals/en_NZ/denture-care/GEP273_Denture_Stomatitis_Still.jpg?auto=format)
Denture stomatitis
Denture stomatitis is commonly associated with a yeast infection that causes the area underneath the denture to become very red.
Left untreated, it can cause soreness of the mouth and may lead to poorly fitted dentures in the future.19–21
Stomatitis is caused by microbial biofilm on the denture-fitting surface (rather than the mucosal surface) and poorly fitted dentures.20
The prevalence of denture stomatitis is strongly linked with the amount of denture plaque.19
![626186723 Denture hygiene infographic](https://i-cf65.ch-static.com/content/dam/cf-consumer-healthcare/health-professionals/en_NZ/denture-care/GEP274_OralHealth_DenturesInGlass.jpg?auto=format)
Some of the denture-related patient factors associated with stomatitis include poor denture hygiene and wearing dentures at night.19
Effective education can reduce the risk of inadequate dental hygiene practices
Medical conditions and hygiene proficiency affect denture performance
Polident - helping your patients on their journey to optimal denture care
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Impact on patient quality of life
Find out about the impact that dentures have on patients’ daily lives
![Tooth with magnifying glass icon](https://i-cf65.ch-static.com/content/dam/cf-consumer-healthcare/health-professionals/en_NZ/icons/GSK_GEP_Diagnosis_Icon.png?auto=format)
![Management icon](https://i-cf65.ch-static.com/content/dam/cf-consumer-healthcare/health-professionals/en_NZ/icons/GSK_GEP_Management_Icon.png?auto=format)
![Denture icon](https://i-cf65.ch-static.com/content/dam/cf-consumer-healthcare/health-professionals/en_NZ/icons/GEP277_Denture_Care_Icon.png?auto=format)
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