Oral lesions in elderly denture wearers.

A total of 298 patients in geriatric institutions were surveyed; 62.8% were edentulous. The frequency of denture hyperplasia and of flabby ridge was related to denture quality which deteriorates with irregular dental visits. Denture stomatitis and inflammatory papillary hyperplasia of the palate were related to denture age only and not to quality. All denture-related lesion frequencies increased with patient age and denture age. The total frequency of soft tissue lesions was 16.7% in edentulous non-denture patients and 58.2% in patients with poor quality dentures. The lowest frequency of soft tissue lesions was in edentulous, non-denture patients. Poor oral hygiene increased the frequency of positive cultures for Candida from the dentures.