Denture care practices and denture-related problems among Hong Kong elders

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the denture care practices, denture-related problems, and oral health-related quality of life of elderly denture wearers in Hong Kong. Method: The study population was elders aged 60 or above, living in the community, had self-care ability, and no serious systemic diseases. Elders attending elderly social centres in different districts in Hong Kong were recruited and face-to-face interviews were conducted by a trained interviewer using a pilot-tested structured questionnaire.

Result: 216 elders (45 men and 171 women) with a mean age of 77.2±7.6 years were interviewed in the survey. Most (54%) of them had worn denture for more than 10 years, and were satisfied with the denture they were wearing. The vast majority (92%) wore denture to improve mastication; and among them, 71% thought their dentures were of great help. Over 85% wore their denture for a whole day but removed it before sleep. Only 13% had used denture adhesive and nearly half (45%) of these elders found it not effective. They usually used a toothbrush (69.9%) and toothpaste (58.3%) to clean their dentures. Proportionally more female than male denture wearers cleaned their denture more than twice daily (50% vs. 24%, p<0.001). Half of the elders also used denture cleanser. Poor denture stability and compromised mastication were the two most common problems (around 55%) which affected these elders. However, most of them either did not tackle the problem or just changed their diet. Two thirds or more (66-82%) of the elderly reported no negative denture-related impacts on their quality of life.

Conclusion: Most of the community-dwelling elderly denture wearers in Hong Kong are satisfied with their denture and their quality of life is seldom negatively affected by their dentures. Their dental care practices are satisfactory but they should seek professional care when denture problems arise.