Common Problems Faced by People Wearing Complete Denture

Original Article

Abstract

Introduction:

Dentures, also known as false teeth, are prosthetic Udevices constructed to replace missing teeth; they are supported by the surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable (removable partial denture or complete denture). However, there are many different denture designs, some which rely on bonding or clasping onto teeth or dental implants (fixed prosthodontics). It helps in mastication, pronunciation, aesthetics and also to maintain self-esteem.

Aim and objective:

The aim of this research is to find out the common problems faced by the patients wearing complete denture.

Materials and methods:

This study was conducted in Chennai. A sample of about 50 elderly people wearing complete dentures was selected for the study. A questionnaire was used to collect all the information on gender, their problems with dentures like pain while inserting and removing the dentures, sore spots in the mucosal regions, bad breath caused due to dentures, difficulty in masticating food, accumulation of food, discomfort while speaking, digestive issues, painful or swollen gums, whether it reduces the self-confidence and  psychological gagging problems . These questions were asked in person by the investigator and the results were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively

Results and conclusion :

The results of our study showed that 72% of people did not face any pain while insertion and removal of dentures, and 44% of men had inability during chewing whereas 28%  of the women face inability during chewing. The food accumulation problem was faced by 56% of males and 72% of females. 36% of females had discomfort while speaking and 20% of males faced discomfort. And about 52% of females and 40% of males showed some amount of neglect towards denture cleansing. 48% of males and 60% of females did not face any bad breath problems because they maintained their dentures well. Both male and female of about 40% had sore spots. Digestive problems were faced by 36% of  both females and males.  32% of females and 8% of males had Painful gums . About 56% of men and 48% of women had reduced

self-esteem due to ill-fitting dentures. And also 24% of females and 20% of males had psychological gagging problem.