Denture stomatitis

DENTURE STOMATITIS (denture sore mouth)

• This condition is common in people who wear an upper denture;
• It is rarely sore;
• It is caused mainly by a yeast (Candida) that usually lives harmlessly in the mouth
• and elsewhere;
• Denture stomatitis is not transmitted to others;
• It may be precipitated by prolonged wearing of a dental appliance (e.g. a denture), especially at night, which allows the yeast to grow;
• It predisposes to sores at the corners of the mouth (angular cheilitis); It has no serious long-term consequences; Blood tests, microbiological studies or biopsy maybe required; It is best controlled by:

o Leaving out the denture at night time which, allows the mouth to heal;

o Brush the denture with a toothbrush or nailbrush;

o Disinfect the denture on a regular basis:

• A hypochlorite based cleaner such as Dentural or Milton solution:

• If your denture has metal parts then you should use these cleaners with caution as the metal parts may become stained and discoloured.

• Sometimes additional treatment is needed such as regular antifungal medicines;
• Sometimes the denture may require adjustment or changing altogether.