A denture cleaner (also termed denture cleanser) is used to clean dentures when they are out of the mouth. The main use is to control the growth of microorganisms on the dentures, especially Candida albicans, thereby preventing denture-related stomatitis. When dentures are worn in the mouth, a biofilm develops which may be similar to dental plaque. It may become hardened and mineralized as dental calculus. Denture cleansers are also used to remove stains and other debris that may be caused by diet, tobacco use, drinking coffee, drinking tea, etc.
Some chemical denture cleaners can come in cream and liquid format. Others come in powder, paste, or tablet format. Some chemical denture cleaners are effervescent and others are not. There are also mechanical denture cleaners such as denture brushes and ultrasonic denture cleaners that use ultrasonic cleaning, some coupled with ultraviolet light.