Causes
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
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
Restricted oral anatomy and denture retention/stability
Restrictions in oral anatomy can limit denture retention and stability.6,7Best-fitting denture performance can be limited by oral anatomy,2 and can be gradually affected by bone resorption over time.7,8
Impact of oral anatomy
Factors limiting retention:
- Surface area defined by individual oral anatomy6
- Gradual physiological bone resorption over time7,8
- Small lower jaw6
- Flat alveolar ridges
- Small basal seat6
Impact:
- Low denture retention6,8and stability7
- Poor chewing ability7,8
- Poor denture satisfaction7
Poor denture hygiene can compromise oral health9–11
Inadequate denture cleaning may lead to denture stomatitis18,19
Up to 88% of denture wearers do not clean their dentures effectively.20
Up to 67% of full denture wearers have denture stomatitis.18
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.18–20
Stomatitis is caused by microbial biofilm on the denture-fitting surface (rather than the mucosal surface) and poorly fitted dentures.19
The prevalence of denture stomatitis is strongly linked with the amount of denture plaque.18
Some of the denture-related factors associated with stomatitis.18
Effective education can reduce the risk of inadequate dental hygiene practices
Medical conditions and hygiene proficiency affect denture performance
Help denture wearers on their journey to optimal denture care
Impact on quality of life
Find out about the impact that dentures have on daily lives.