Comparative Effectiveness of Commercially Available Denture Cleansers on Oral Flora in Complete Denture Wearers

Abstract

Objective: To determine and compare the effectiveness of different commercially available denture cleansers against oral flora in complete denture wearers.

Methodology: This randomized comparative clinical study was conducted at the Prosthodontics Department, Sardar Begum Dental College and Hospital, Peshawar, from April 2016 to October 2016. Microbiological analysis was performed at the Microbiology Laboratory of Khyber Medical College, Peshawar. Thirty complete denture wearers were randomly divided into five groups. Group A used tap water as control, Group B used sodium hypochlorite (0.02%), Group C used chlorhexidine gluconate (0.2%), Group D used white vinegar in 1:10 dilution with tap water, and Group E used Fitty Dent cleansing tablets. Saliva samples were collected at denture insertion and after two weeks of denture use. Colony forming units (CFUs) of microorganisms were assessed using microbiological culture techniques. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17. Paired sample t-test and one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s HSD test were applied. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:All denture cleansers showed better effectiveness against oral flora compared to tap water. Sodium hypochlorite (0.02%) demonstrated the least bacterial and candidal growth among all groups. White vinegar and Fitty Dent tablets also showed effective reduction in microbial growth. Chlorhexidine gluconate demonstrated comparatively lesser effectiveness. The highest increase in Streptococcus and Staphylococcus colony counts was observed in the control group using tap water.

Conclusion: All tested denture cleansers were more effective than tap water in controlling oral microbial growth in complete denture wearers. Sodium hypochlorite (0.02%) was found to be the most effective denture cleanser, followed by white vinegar, Fitty Dent tablets, and chlorhexidine gluconate.