Oral findings in elderly nursing home residents in selected countries: oral hygiene conditions and plaque accumulation on denture surfaces.

Many removable-denture wearers do not keep their prostheses clean. One result of poor hygiene is the accumulation of plaque and/or food debris on the denture surfaces, the oral tissues, the residual ridges, palate, cheeks, and tongue. In the study of the oral conditions of geriatric patients living in institutions, 610 patients were examined in seven old-age homes in four different countries: the United States, Peru, Argentina, and Israel.