Background: Complete edentulism is common in elderly population and routinely rehabilitated with removable complete dentures. Poor denture hygiene leads to microbial colonization and subsequent inflammatory changes in oral tissues. Objective: The purpose of this article is to review the available literature with regard to efficacy of various denture cleansers in reducing microbial film formation. Materials and Method: Electronic search of PubMed database was carried out for articles related to efficacy of denture cleansers only. Clinical studies on Human subjects published on or before April 2017 were included. The data extracted from articles included denture cleansing agent or method used, concentration of the agent, mode of action and efficacy of denture cleansing agents. Results: The literature search yielded 49 articles which were independently screened and 13 articles were included in review. Four studies compared the efficacy of peroxide based tablets with abrasive creams. Four studies evaluated different concentrations of Chlorhexidine digluconate. Sodium hypochlorite, enzymes, vinegar etc were other substances used for the purpose of denture cleansing. Conclusion: Denture cleansers correspond to a variety of products designed to safely remove stains, deposits, and debris from the surfaces of dental prostheses, by means of various methods. This systematic review demonstrated that oxidizing agents like alkaline peroxide based tablets are the most common product used for denture hygiene. Antimicrobials such as chlorhexidine have shown similar efficacy.
