The Social Impact of Dentures
December 11, 2015
Polident® Denture Cleanser and Super Poligrip® Denture Adhesive set out to uncover the physical and emotional barriers denture wearers face in their everyday lives. The survey was designed to provide perspectives on a range of topics from misconceptions to how denture wearers feel they take care of their oral health. Among the barriers that denture wearers reported, the most prominent pertained to their social life, career, eating, and romance.
Key Findings
Denture wearers aren’t who you may think they are. About 6 in 10 (59%) denture wearers say the biggest misconception about dentures is that they’re only for old people.1 In Polident and Poligrip’s research they found that more than half (53%) of respondents were 44 years old or younger when they first got dentures.2
1. Some denture wearers feel their dentures hinder their quality of life.
Thirty-four percent of denture wearers believe they are limited in their quality of life because they wear dentures.3 In fact, more men (36%) than women (33%) believe that wearing dentures limits them from “living life to the fullest,”4 with some (10%) avoiding eating at parties or weddings because of their teeth,5 and 1 in 5 (20%) being afraid to smile.6
2. Dentures are frequently kept a secret.
Many wearers seem to be embarrassed by their dentures with 25% saying they’re afraid someone will find out they wear false teeth.6 Sixty-three percent of respondents admitted that they’ve kept their dentures a secret from someone. More specifically, 32% said they’ve kept it a secret from a friend, 10% said they’ve hidden it from sibling(s), and 7% have gone so far as to keep it from their spouse.7
3. Denture wearers have a complex relationship with food.
Getting food stuck in or under dentures is the primary concern for 54% of denture wearers.6 More than half (56%) avoid certain foods altogether because they wear dentures.5 Among respondents, a quarter (25%) were worried about eating specific foods, like apples, steak, or corn on the cob.8
The foods they shy away from include sticky candy (54%), corn on the cob (50%), apples (34%), nuts (33%), popcorn (31%), seeded bread (25%), steak (23%), berries (13%), and beverages, such as coffee or wine (8%), that may stain teeth.9 Women also tend to be more concerned about food getting lodged in their teeth than men, as 59% of female respondents said they were worried versus 47% of males.10
4. A lack of confidence can lead to issues at work.
Nearly 2 in 5 (38%) denture wearers admit that wearing dentures has affected their career. These respondents admit that they often feel intimidated to network with other professionals (37%) and lack confidence in meetings (33%).11 Nearly a quarter have even avoided going on job interviews (23%)11 and among denture wearers who have kept their dentures a secret from someone, 62% said they have hidden it from their coworker(s) and 45% have kept it from their boss.12
5. Denture wearers have anxieties about romance.
With the insecurities that surround denture wearers in work and social settings, it may come as no surprise that nearly 3 in 5 (56%) denture wearers say that wearing dentures impacts their love life.13 Among this group, 42% expressed that wearing dentures has had a negative impact.14 Many of those surveyed confessed that wearing dentures has affected the way they kiss with 24% being afraid to kiss someone passionately.15 This study also showed that men (23%) are more worried about kissing with their dentures than women (19%).10
6. There’s a disparity in how denture wearers think they take care of their dentures and actual behavior.
More than three-quarters of the denture wearers surveyed (78%) feel they take excellent or good care of their dentures. Among this pool, more women (46%) than men (37%) think they practice good care of their dentures,16 and over a third (36%) of denture wearers believe they take excellent care of their dentures.17
Although a majority of respondents feel that they are taking good care of their dentures, research tells a different story. The survey shows that up to 89% of wearers are not cleaning their dentures correctly.18
Methodology
This survey was commissioned by GSK Consumer Healthcare’s Polident Denture Cleanser and Super Poligrip Denture Adhesive, and was conducted by Survata—an independent research firm in San Francisco, California. Survata interviewed 500 online respondents of adults who wore dentures between May 22, 2015 and May 28, 2015.19
References
1. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 10.
2. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 29.
3. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 14.
4. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 17.
5. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 9.
6. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 5.
7. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 8.
8. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 4.
9. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 6.
10. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 20.
11. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slides 11 & 21.
12. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 22.
13. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slides 12.
14. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 18.
15. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 19.
16. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 24.
15. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 19.
17. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 3.
18. Barbosa L et al. Edentulous patients’ knowledge of dental hygiene and care of prostheses. Jnl of Gerodontology. 2008:25;99-106.
19. Denture wearers survey data full report prepared for GSK by Survata and Green Room Communications. May 22-May 28, 2015. Slide 2.
