eMedicine Specialties > Dermatology > Diseases of the Oral Mucosa

Denture Stomatitis: Follow-up

Author: James J Sciubba, DMD, PhD, Retired Professor and Director of Dental and Oral Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Milton J Dance Head and Neck Center; Private Practice, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Feb 18, 2009

Follow-up

Deterrence/Prevention

  • Denture sanitization is an important element in the treatment of denture stomatitis and should be emphasized to the patients.
  • The 6-month incidence of denture stomatitis can be significantly reduced by educating nursing home caregivers about oral heath care.
  • The incidence of denture stomatitis and the duration of denture wear are highly correlated. Dentists can help prevent this condition by instructing patients to take their dentures out of their mouth for 6-8 hours each day.
  • Mechanical plaque control and appropriate denture-wearing habits are the most important measures in preventing and treating the disease.

Complications

  • IPEH has never been reported to undergo malignant transformation.

Prognosis

  • In most patients, the elimination of mechanical and traumatic factors, the consistent use of oral hygiene measures, and the administration of local antimycotic therapy usually enables the inflammatory lesions to heal rapidly.
  • Recurrences are common when exacerbating factors are reintroduced.

Patient Education

  • The need for an educational component in a preventive oral health care program in geriatric institutions is unmet.24
    • Dental professionals who work with geriatric patients should address this need by implementing a preventive oral health care program.
    • Such programs should include not only patient examinations and preventive care but also education for allied health care professionals and members of the patient's family.
  • Patients should be taught how to properly wear and sanitize their dentures and about how to perform good oral hygiene (see Deterrence/Prevention).

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Many practitioners encounter patients who continue to have difficulty adapting, even with newly fabricated complete dentures.
  • In most instances, patients with complete dentures present with complaints only when a real design fault or a tissue problem exists.
 


More on Denture Stomatitis

Overview: Denture Stomatitis
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Denture Stomatitis
Treatment & Medication: Denture Stomatitis
Follow-up: Denture Stomatitis
Multimedia: Denture Stomatitis
References
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References

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  2. Shulman JD, Beach MM, Rivera-Hidalgo F. The prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in U.S. adults: data from the third national health and nutrition examination survey, 1988-1994. J Amer Dent Assoc. 2004;135:1279-1286. [Medline].

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  4. Shulman JD, Rivera-Hidalgo F, Beach MM. Risk factors associated with denture stomatitis in the United States. J Oral Pathol Med. 2005;34:340-346. [Medline].

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  6. Barbeau J, Seguin J, Goulet JP, et al. Reassessing the presence of Candida albicans in denture-related stomatitis. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. Jan 2003;95(1):51-9. [Medline].

  7. Le Bars P, Piloquet P, Daniel A, Giumelli B. Immunohistochemical localization of type IV collagen and laminin (alpha1) in denture stomatitis. J Oral Pathol Med. Feb 2001;30(2):98-103. [Medline].

  8. Schou L, Wight C, Cumming C. Oral hygiene habits, denture plaque, presence of yeasts and stomatitis in institutionalised elderly in Lothian, Scotland. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. Apr 1987;15(2):85-9. [Medline].

  9. Budtz-Jorgensen E, Stenderup A, Grabowski M. An epidemiologic study of yeasts in elderly denture wearers. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. May 1975;3(3):115-9. [Medline].

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  11. Marcos-Arias C, Vicente JL, Sahand IH, et al. Isolation of Candida dubliniensis in denture stomatitis. Arch Oral Biol. Feb 2009;54(2):127-31. [Medline].

  12. Ramage G, Tomsett K, Wickes BL, Lopez-Ribot JL, Redding SW. Denture stomatitis: a role for Candida biofilms. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. Jul 2004;98(1):53-9. [Medline].

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  15. Frenkel H, Harvey I, Newcombe RG. Oral health care among nursing home residents in Avon. Gerodontology. Jul 2000;17(1):33-8. [Medline].

  16. Jainkittivong A, Aneksuk V, Langlais RP. Oral mucosal conditions in elderly dental patients. Oral Dis. Jul 2002;8(4):218-23. [Medline].

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  18. Nikawa H, Jin C, Makihira S, Egusa H, Hamada T, Kumagai H. Biofilm formation of Candida albicans on the surfaces of deteriorated soft denture lining materials caused by denture cleansers in vitro. J Oral Rehabil. Mar 2003;30(3):243-50. [Medline].

  19. Dorocka-Bobkowska B, Budtz-Jorgensen E, Wloch S. Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for denture stomatitis. J Oral Pathol Med. Sep 1996;25(8):411-5. [Medline].

  20. Arendorf TM, Walker DM. Oral candidal populations in health and disease. Br Dent J. Nov 20 1979;147(10):267-72. [Medline].

  21. Newton AV. Denture sore mouth as possible etiology. Brit Dental J. 1962;112:357-60.

  22. Vitkov L, Weitgasser R, Lugstein A, Noack MJ, Fuchs K, Krautgartner WD. Glycaemic disorders in denture stomatitis. J Oral Pathol Med. Oct 1999;28(9):406-9. [Medline].

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  24. Matear DW. Demonstrating the need for oral health education in geriatric institutions. Probe. Mar-Apr 1999;33(2):66-71. [Medline].

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Further Reading

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Keywords

denture stomatitis, denture sore mouth, oral mucosal lesions, dentures, oral candidal infection, denture-related lesions, denture-related hyperplasia, angular cheilitis, contact mucositis, dentures, Candida

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

James J Sciubba, DMD, PhD, Retired Professor and Director of Dental and Oral Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Milton J Dance Head and Neck Center; Private Practice, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral Medicine, Baltimore, MD
James J Sciubba, DMD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, American Dental Association, and International Association for Dental Research
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Peter Fritsch, MD, Chair, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University of Innsbruck, Austria
Peter Fritsch, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Dermatological Association, International Society of Pediatric Dermatology, and Society for Investigative Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Michael J Wells, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Michael J Wells, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, and Texas Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Drore Eisen, MD, DDS, Consulting Staff, Department of Dermatology, Dermatology Research Associates of Cincinnati
Drore Eisen, MD, DDS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology, American Academy of Oral Medicine, and American Dental Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Catherine Quirk, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Brown University
Catherine Quirk, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and American Academy of Dermatology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

William D James, MD, Paul R Gross Professor of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Vice-Chair, Program Director, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Health System
William D James, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Dermatology and Society for Investigative Dermatology
Disclosure: elsevier Royalty Other; american college of physicians Honoraria Other

 
 
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