Denture Stomatitis and Its Associations Among Older Adults in the United Arab Emirates

BACKGROUND: Denture stomatitis is a common oral mucosal lesion among older adults wearing removable prostheses. Its prevalence and associated risk factors, however, vary across populations. OBJECTIVE: To describe denture stomatitis and its associations with patient- and prosthesis-related factors among older adults wearing removable dentures in the United Arab Emirates. METHODS: 280 patients wearing 492 removable dentures were examined in a specialty dental facility in Ras Al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. Clinical assessment of patients and dentures was performed by three prosthodontists. Patient-related variables included years of denture wear, vertical dimension of occlusion, salivary flow, diabetes and hypertension. Prosthetic-related variables included denture integrity, plaque and calculus deposits, use of reline materials or denture adhesives, denture tooth wear, and denture stability and retention. Statistical analysis used SPSS (version 29). RESULTS: Denture stomatitis was diagnosed in 42 participants (15%). Years of denture wear, reduced vertical dimension of occlusion, low salivary flow and all prosthesis-related variables were associated with denture stomatitis. Multivariate Poisson regression showed that longer years of denture wear were associated with a higher risk of denture stomatitis (PR = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.03-1.16), while adequate denture retention was associated with a lower risk (PR = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.25-0.99). CONCLUSION: Denture stomatitis was associated with longer denture wear duration and inadequate denture retention. Regular denture assessment and maintenance may help support oral mucosal health in older adults.