Assessment of awareness about COVID-19 and proper home care of removable dental prostheses in denture wearers

Objectives The objectives of this study were to check awareness regarding COVID-19 infection, to check awareness regarding home care of removable dental prostheses, to check availability of commercial denture cleaning products, and to check awareness regarding home cleaning agents. Material and Methods We conducted a survey of 208 patients who reported at the outpatient department of SGT Dental College, Hospital and Research Institute, SGT University, who were using removable dental prostheses during the pandemic in their local language following traditional paper and personal interview (PAPI) format over a period of 2 months. Results We found that 71.6% people were unsure when asked if COVID-19 could be transmitted through their dental prosthesis, while 25.9% people said that it could not. 67.2% people were not sure about using household products such as soap, vinegar, and baking soda as denture cleansers; and 30.8% people said that soap could be used. 95.5% people had never visited their local pharmacy to purchase a denture cleaning product. 94% said that they do not need follow-up when asked how often should they visit their dentist after receiving their dentures and 97% people said the same when asked how often they actually visited their dentist after receiving their prosthesis. Conclusion We concluded that there is a need to create awareness regarding the use of common household products and commercially available products as denture cleansers and the need for regular follow-up. Further studies should be conducted on transmission of viruses like severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 through removable dental prostheses and awareness should be spread about the same. Similar multicentric studies should be conducted to assess and spread awareness about the same. Further, there is a need for more studies on various ways to spread awareness and their efficiency.