Denture hygiene knowledge, cleaning practices, and denture stomatitis among primary care patients in Alkharj, Saudi Arabia: compliance predictors, barriers and educational preferences: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Denture wearers must maintain good denture hygiene, as oral health significantly impacts systemic health; yet denture hygiene practices remain poorly addressed within dental primary care facilities. Saudi Arabia's dental primary care system serves a demographically diverse population, including a large proportion of non-Saudi patients, creating a setting in which sociodemographic, linguistic, and economic factors intersect to shape the oral health behaviors of individuals who wear dentures.

OBJECTIVES: To assess denture hygiene knowledge, cleaning behaviors, and denture stomatitis among denture wearers attending a single primary care setting in Alkharj, Saudi Arabia, and to identify behavioral predictors and patient-reported barriers to denture hygiene compliance.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 120 patients attending a dental primary care clinic was conducted. A questionnaire assessed knowledge, barriers, and educational preferences about oral/denture hygiene care. A clinical examination assessed prosthetic history and classified denture stomatitis using the Newton system. Statistical analyses included independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression (p = 0.05).

RESULTS: Only 24.2% of patients demonstrated adequate knowledge of oral/denture hygiene. In comparison, high-income patients had significantly higher mean knowledge scores than low-income patients (p < .001); in the adjusted multivariable model, income level and nationality were each independently associated with knowledge adequacy. Young females (age <50 years) showed significantly higher oral/denture hygiene compliance (p < 0.001). 63.3% of patients reported wearing their denture during sleep due to forgetfulness, and 65.8% suffer from denture stomatitis. Written instructions were preferred by 51.7% of patients, and teaching hospitals were the main source of oral/denture care instructions. The most commonly mentioned barrier to receiving comprehensive oral/denture hygiene instruction was "dentists have no time to give instructions" (40.8%).

CONCLUSION: Denture hygiene compliance is critically low among patients attending primary care settings in Alkharj, Saudi Arabia. Non-Saudi nationality, low income, greater tooth loss, and male sex are independent correlates of non-compliance. Forgetfulness regarding nighttime removal and social embarrassment about public denture cleaning represent prevalent behavioral barriers to non-compliance. The strong preference for written educational materials and the high prevalence of denture stomatitis collectively underscore the clinical and public health imperative for integrating brief, culturally adapted, written denture hygiene counseling into routine primary care in Saudi Arabia.