Clinical Self-Assessment of Denture Freshness by Full Denture Patients

Despite differences in dentition, oral malodor is a major concern for both dentate and edentulous patients. In general, the potential sources of malodor remain the same for all subjects predominated by the production of VSC's by anaerobes, the putrefaction of saliva and food debris, and dietary-related malodor. However, due to the artificial nature of the denture appliance, many edentulous patients express concern that they may produce a distinct malodor that is specifically attributable to the presence of their denture. Furthermore, they believe that such malodor could identify them in public as a denture wearer. Objectives: In this study, we examined the self-perception of freshness by edentulous patients before and after cleaning with either water or a liquid denture cleanser. Methods: An assessor-blind study was performed using 28 subjects with full upper and lower dentures. Subjects wore their dentures overnight before having a bland standardized meal on the morning of the test. After patient self-assessment of freshness of denture and breath, researchers brushed each denture for one minute using either the cleanser or water. Freshness was then reassessed shortly after brushing and at fixed hourly intervals up to five hours post-treatment. The response scale for the perception of freshness was a 7-point category scale ranging from “not at all” to “strongest possible”. Results: Subjects reported significantly greater feeling of freshness of the breath and dentures following treatment with the denture cleanser for all time points. Perception of breath freshness and denture freshness appeared to correlate. On average, subjects reported “barely” fresh breath and dentures following treatment with water for all time points. Conclusion: Using this study design, edentulous patients were able to effectively communicate perceptions of freshness. Application of a denture cleanser can markedly improve perception of freshness for extended periods of time. Research supported by GlaxoSmithKline.