drg Martha Mozartha, M.

Si
 Complete dentures -> the most common
treatment for total loss of teeth in a dental arch

 Heat cure acrylic resin is most commonly used

material for denture base -> attract stains and odor
producing organic and inorganic deposits ->
halitosis and inflammation of oral mucosa in many
denture wearers
 Patient education about denture hygiene ->
essential component of complete denture
service to assure patient’s satisfaction
 Wide range of denture cleansers available
over the counter with various techniques
 Brushing techniques -> the most common
method but ineffective in elderly with lack of
motor coordination
 Mechanical action->
- Abrasive pastes used with brushes
- Ultrasonic cleaners -> expensive & technique sensitive.
 Chemical action
1. Sodium hypochlorite
2. Effervescent perioxides
3. Disinfectants
4. Acids
5. Enzymes
 Combination of mechanical & chemical
 Remove stains
 Bactericidal and fungicidal
 Dissolves plaque and inhibits calculus formation by
acting on plaque matrix by dissolution of the
polymer structure
 Overnight soaking of acrylic dentures in 0.02%
sodium hypochlorite -> effectively reduced plaque.
 Sodium hypochlorite 5.25% ) -> more effective than
effervescent tablets
 Disadvantage: excessive use -> bleached the acrylic
denture base
 Tablets dissolved in water

 Not effective to remove calculus

 Antibacterial action = minimal

 When contact with food debris and mucin on a

denture, the peroxide decomposes -> produces
small bubbles of oxygen which tend to exert a
mechanical loosening action between the denture
surface and theforeign material
 Specific ingredients and their proportions
vary, but the dominant commercial
formulations include:
- compounds for oxidizing (usually an alkaline
perborate)
- effervescing (perborate and/or carbonate)
- chelating agent (EDTA)
- Detergent, color, and fragrance agents
Disadvantage:
The alkaline peroxide solutions may not be
compatible with certain permanent or
temporary resilient lining materials 
patients should be cautioned to minimize the
duration of soaking their soft-line dentures.
 Chlorhexidine gluconate : most commonly used
(commercially available not specific for denture
cleanser)
 Overnight immersion of dentures in 0.2 %
chlorhexidine-gluconate -> significant reduction in the
amount of denture plaque
 At lower concentrations -> bacteriostatic effect
 At higher concentrations -> bactericidal effect (by
precipitation or coagulation of bacteria cytoplasm)
 All studies have reported a heavy discoloration of the
dentures by chlorohexidine solutions -> unsuitable for
routine denture soaking
 Rarely used
 Acetic acid solution was evaluated by Basson et al. -
> effective at killing adherent microorganisms
although less effective than NaOCl.
 Cleansing agents containing proteolytic enzyme ->
designed to break down protective mucin deposits
on dentures
 Study by Nakamoto et al. concluded : the efficacy
against Candida of this agent was inferior to the
action of alkaline peroxide compounds
 It’s a component of commercial denture cleanser that has just recently
been introduced to the USA -> prevent oral bacteria to adhere

 The denture is soaked in the solution, and when the denture is removed
from the solution, a thin layer (constituting 0.1-0.8 mg) of the material
coats all surfaces of the prosthesis.

 The material will not rinse or rub off but is slowly lost over the day.
 Dentist need to have a working knowledge of the
range of techniques and materials that are available
for cleaning dentures -> instructions for patients
 Soaking prostheses in a dilute sodium hypochlorite
solution/commercial effervescent products < 1 hour
-> effective means for cleaning dentures
 Ultrasonication is effective but rarely used
 Microwave radiation and air drying to disinfect
denture acrylic resin effectively kill organisms but
may not eradicate antigenic irritants