A survey of denture hygiene in patients attending Cardiff Dental Hospital

Patients attending the Cardiff Dental Hospital were interviewed by staff and students in the Department of Prosthetic Dentistry and a multidisciplinary teaching clinic. Information on denture hygiene was collected using a questionnaire. This questionnaire consisted of nineteen questions on the methods and materials used for denture hygiene, along with details pertinent to the patients and their dentures. One thousand patients were interviewed. The results showed that patients were less critical of standards of denture hygiene than clinicians. Only 46% of patients believed their dentures stained. This suggests high patient apathy regarding denture hygiene, that should be addressed in health education programs.