Issue: Vojnosanit Pregl 2017; Vol. 74 (No. 4)
Prevalence and possible predictors of the occurence of denture stomatitis in patients older than 60 years
Authors:
Miloš Čanković, Marija Bokor-Bratić, Jovan Marinoski, Dunja Stojanović
Background/Aim. Denture stomatitis (DS) is one of themost common oral health problems among elderly population
with removable dentures. Despite the high prevalence,
etiology of the disease is not completely understood. It appears
to be multifactorial, with a predominance of local factors.
The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and
risk factors that contribute to the development of DS in upper
removable denture wearers. Methods. This clinical study
comprised three groups of subjects with upper removable
dentures: the DS group, and the positive and negative control
groups. Swab samples were taken from the tongue and palatal
mucosa for microbiological examination. Data of denture age,
dentures night wearing, unstimulated salivary flow rate (USFR)
and saliva pH values were evaluated for all the participants.
Results. The prevalence of DS was found to be
26.5%. Significantly higher values of overnight wearing (p =
0.000) and the mean age of dentures (p = 0.022) were found
in the DS group compared to the controls. In relation to the
positive mycological finding, a borderline significance difference
among the groups was confirmed (p = 0.053). No significant
association was found between DS and gender, age, the
type of dentures, USFR, pH of saliva and bacteria findings.
The patients who wore dentures at night had 26 times more
chances to get DS compared to the patients who did not wear
them overnight. Conclusion. This study confirms similar
characteristics of DS prevalence in elderly population of Vojvodina
compared to European. Continuous (overnight)
wearing of dentures is considered to be major direct risk factor
for DS development, while secondary role is attributed to
denture age and oral Candida infection.
