title: Clinical survey of denture care in denture-wearing edentulous patients of Indian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate patients' knowledge regarding the post-insertion care of complete denture prosthesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty-five complete denture-wearing patients who reported to the department of prosthodontics, HKES S Nijalingappa Institute of Dental Science and Research, Gulbarga, Karnataka, India constituted the sample. Questionnaires were distributed to them. The χ(2)-test was used for statistical analysis, with a significance level of 5%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Questionnaire results showed that: 59.2% of the subjects, with a mean age of 69.28 years, had used the same complete denture for less than a year; 36% of them slept with their prosthesis in their mouth; 83.82% were male; 100% of upper class subjects removed there prosthesis before sleep; 67.2% removed their prostheses at some point during the day; 35.2% removed their prostheses and kept them in a separate denture box with water; 97.6% of patients cleaned their denture daily; there was a statistically significant difference in frequencies of cleaning between socioeconomic status (χ(2)-test = 48.25, P < 0.05); 94.26% of subjects used a toothbrush for prosthesis cleaning; there was a statistically significant difference in other aids used to clean the prostheses between socioeconomic status (χ(2)-test = 57.20, P < 0.05); 50.40% of the population reported ulceration due to prostheses; and 85.5% of subjects never used adhesive to retain their denture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within the limitations of this study, it was concluded that the edentulous patients surveyed had limited awareness of prostheses hygiene and long-term oral care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, HKES S Nijalingappa Institute of Dental Science and Research, Gulbarga, Karnataka, India. drramc@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ramesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chowdhary
authors.forename: Neeraj K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Chandraker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003824:Denture, Complete; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires