Denture care: an overview for professionals

Lady in kitchen

Understanding denture care as a professional

Teeth form an intimate part of how we look and feel, and for almost 1 in 5 people in England who rely on either a full or partial denture, dentures do too.1

Patients face challenges at all stages of the denture journey, and must adapt to a number of different prostheses: partial dentures, immediate dentures following tooth extraction and full dentures.2,3

Each patient’s experience will be different. Individual medical, physical and psychological factors, such as oral anatomy, xerostomia, and how the patient adapts to their prosthesis, can affect how their dentures perform.2–6

The number of denture wearers is increasing1,7

  • The number of adults relying on dentures

    1 in 5 adults relied on dentures in 2009

    Many people rely on some form of denture1,8

    Many people rely on a combination of both natural teeth and dentures.1,8

    In addition to the 6% of adults who had no natural teeth, in 2009, another 13% relied on a partial denture.1

    Overall, nearly 1 in 5 adults in England were shown to rely on some form of denture.1

  • The ageing population is getting bigger

    2050 projection – growth in people aged 60 years or older

    The global population is getting older8

    In 2012, 810 million people in the world were aged 60 years or older, representing 11% of the global population.8

    By 2050, this figure is set to increase to 2 billion people aged 60 years or older – amounting to 22% of the global population8

  • The denture population will increase

    Percent edentulous by age, England

    Older people are more likely to need dentures

    There is a direct correlation between age and the likelihood of requiring a denture.1

    The 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey revealed that 33% of those aged 75 and above in England were edentulous. This was the case, however, for only 1% of those aged 45–54.1

    Discover more educational resources for further guidance on oral care.

Read more about denture care for professionals in oral health

Denture Causes icon

Causes and mechanisms

Find out more about the factors that can limit denture performance and compromise hygiene

Find out more

Family icon

Impact on patient quality of life

Find out about the impact that dentures have on patients’ daily lives

Find out more

Tooth with magnifying glass icon

Diagnosis

Explore an overview of diagnosing issues with denture performance

Find out more

Management icon

Management

Explore an overview of maintaining the performance of dentures

Find out more

Learning lab icon

Learning Lab

Discover the science behind our innovations.

Find out more

Patient resources icon

Patient care resources

Download resources for your patients

Find out more