Oral Probiotics and Denture Care in Saudi Arabia: Evaluating Knowledge, Practices, and the Future of Innovative Hygiene Solutions

The goal of this observational study is to learn about denture wearers' knowledge, awareness, and self-reported practices regarding denture hygiene and oral probiotics, and to assess whether these are associated with clinical oral findings and microbial colonization in adult denture wearers (18 years and older), including complete and partial denture users treated at King Saud University Dental Clinics within the past five years. The main questions it aims to answer are:

What are the levels of knowledge, awareness, and practices related to denture hygiene and oral probiotics among adult denture wearers?

What is the prevalence of denture-related oral conditions and bacterial/fungal colonization, and how are these related to denture hygiene knowledge and self-reported hygiene practices?

Participants will:

Complete an electronic questionnaire in Arabic or English about demographics, denture hygiene knowledge, awareness of oral probiotics, and current denture care practices.

Attend a 15-20 minute clinical visit for examination of dentures and oral mucosa.

Be asked to avoid cleaning their denture for at least 12 hours before the visit.

Undergo plaque sample collection from dentures and oral tissues; partially edentulous participants will also have additional samples collected from abutment areas.

Have samples analyzed using real-time PCR and culture methods (CFU) to detect bacterial and fungal microorganisms.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Halitosis; Dentures; Denture Stomatitis; Biofilms
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: This is a cross-sectional observational study. Participants are not assigned to any treatment or preventive intervention.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 100

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Saudi Arabia
  • Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 12786
    • King Saud University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Adult men and women aged 18 years or older who are currently wearing at least one removable denture (complete or partial) and who received denture treatment at King Saud University Dental Clinics/Dental University Hospital within the past five years. Participants are recruited by convenience sampling from eligible patients identified through the SALUD electronic dental records system.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Adults 18 years or older

Currently wearing at least one removable denture (complete or partial)

Denture received/used within the past five years

Willing and able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

Severe systemic conditions affecting oral health, such as:

Uncontrolled diabetes (HbA1c > 7) and Immunosuppression

Pregnancy

Breastfeeding

Cognitive or physical impairment that limits the ability to perform routine oral and denture care practices

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Removable partial denture wearers; Patients with removable partial dentures	Other: This is a cross-sectional observational study. Participants are not assigned to any treatment or preventive intervention.; This is a cross-sectional observational study. Participants are not assigned to any treatment or preventive intervention. They will only undergo questionnaire completion, clinical examination, and noninvasive plaque and mucosal sample collection.
Complete denture wearers; Patients with complete denture	Other: This is a cross-sectional observational study. Participants are not assigned to any treatment or preventive intervention.; This is a cross-sectional observational study. Participants are not assigned to any treatment or preventive intervention. They will only undergo questionnaire completion, clinical examination, and noninvasive plaque and mucosal sample collection.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Knowledge, awareness, and self-reported hygiene practices related to denture hygiene and oral probiotics among adult denture wearers, assessed using a validated questionnaire	Knowledge, awareness, and self-reported hygiene practices related to denture hygiene and oral probiotics among adult denture wearers, assessed using a validated questionnaire	Baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Prevalence of denture-related oral complications and bacterial/fungal colonization, assessed through clinical examination, culture (CFU), and real-time PCR	Prevalence of denture-related oral complications and bacterial/fungal colonization, assessed through clinical examination, culture (CFU), and real-time PCR	Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: King Saud University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 8, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 11, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 16, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 11, 2026
• Last Verified: August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mouth Diseases; Stomatognathic Diseases; Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Stomatitis; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Halitosis; Stomatitis, Denture
• Other Study ID Numbers: E-25-9941

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No