Obturator hygiene among patients with maxillary defects at two teaching hospitals in Ghana

Abstract

Background: An obturator may be defined as the component of a prosthesis that fits into and closes a defect within the oral cavity or other body defects. Cleaning one’s obturator is essential to prevent offensive odour, poor aesthetics, the accumulation of plaques, and damage to both natural and prosthetic teeth due to bacteria contamination in the oral cavity.
Aim: The study aimed to determine how palatal obturator wearers practice good obturator cleaning habits.
Method: A cross-sectional study design was used for this study. A sample size of 40 palatal obturator wearers was used. Data was collected using a well-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic data (age, sex, educational level, occupation and years of wearing a prosthesis, obturator cleaning habits, obturator cleaning methods, and obturator wearing habits. The data were summarized using Descriptive statistics with tables and charts and analyzed using a chi-square test from Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 22.0) and Microsoft Office Excel 2016 at p-value< 0.05.
Results: Sixteen (40%) of the total number were males, and 24(60%) were females giving a male-to-female ratio of 2:3. Twelve (30%) of the participants fell between the ages 31-40 years. Participants with tertiary education have better cleaning habits and knowledge of cleaning agents used. Fifteen (37.5%) participants who had worn a palatal obturator between 1-2 years frequently visited the dental clinic for a check-up; however, this number gradually decreased.
Conclusion: The majority of the patients evaluated had good clean habits with their prostheses and the cleaning agents used. However, participants with tertiary education had better prosthesis hygiene and maintenance methods.