Denture Stomatitis: Case Report

Introduction Edentulism, particularly in the aging population, is a significant oral health concern that often necessitates the use of complete dentures for rehabilitation. While complete dentures help restore masticatory function, speech, and aesthetics, their prolonged use can lead to various oral and systemic sequelae. These include residual ridge resorption, altered taste perception, decreased masticatory force, mucosal irritation, and increased risk of infections. Among these complications, denture stomatitis is one of the most common, presenting as chronic inflammation of the denture ebearing mucosa. Denture stomatitis is a common inflammatory condition affecting the oral mucosa beneath a denture. It is often associated with Candida albicans infection and poor denture hygiene. The denture bearing tissues may undergo histopathologic changes, such as inflammation and degeneration or morphologic changes such as traumatic ulceration and hyperplasia leading to denture stomatitis. The etiology of denture stomatitis is multifactorial, and factors such as bacterial plaque accumulation, resin porosity, trauma caused by the use of inadequate prostheses and poor oral hygiene contribute to the mucosa underlying the prosthesis being susceptible to infection.1The diagnosis of denture stomatitis depends on clinical findings, such as, the presence of erythema and edema on the palatal mucosa and gingiva covered by the denture base.1 It affects up to 65% of denture wearers. While often asymptomatic, some patients may experience burning, dryness, discomfort, or bad breath. The lesion has been graded clinically into three types by Newton in 1962 as: