A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW ON ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DENTURE-RELATED HABITS WITH ORAL POTENTIALLY MALIGNANT DISORDERS AND ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

Abstract

Background and Aim: Denture-related behavioral habits like poor denture hygiene, overnight wear, continuous use and prolonged denture use may be contributing factors for microbial biofilm formation, persistent Candida colonization, denture stomatitis and chronic oral mucosal inflammation. Chronic inflammation and Candida infection have been associated with mechanisms involved in oral carcinogenesis. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the association of denture-related behavioral habits with oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods: A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. We conducted electronic database searches to identify relevant studies and screened them against pre-specified eligibility criteria. Results: A total of 159 records were identified, 87 were kept after duplicate removal, 36 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, and six studies were included. The studies looked at denture habits, denture hygiene, Candida colonization, denture stomatitis and changes in the oral mucosa. The risk of bias was assessed by a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: Poor denture hygiene and persistent Candida colonization were consistently associated with denture stomatitis and chronic inflammatory changes. Some studies have reported leukoplakia and epithelial changes in denture wearers and denture wearing combined with tobacco smoking associated with oral candidal leukoplakia. However, no direct relationship of cause and effect was found between denture-related habits and OSCC. Conclusion: Poor denture-related habits are a contributing factor in denture stomatitis, persistent Candida colonization and chronic mucosal inflammation. There is no direct evidence linking these habits to oral cancer, but they may create an indirect environment that predisposes to potentially malignant changes, especially in the presence of established carcinogenic risk factors.