The Effect of Specialized Hygiene Products on the Morphology of the Surface of Thermoplastic Polymers Used as the Bases for Removable Dentures

Abstract

Despite the progress observed in implantology and the rapid evolution of preventive and treatment options employed to treat major dental issues, the number of patients who need prosthetics with removable dentures still remains high, with no decrease trend to be expected soon. Modern dentistry, when dealing with issues related to dentition restoration, makes full use of basic thermoplastic polymers incorporating injection molding technology, whereas the said polymers can boast of such properties as biological inertia, proper aesthetics, strength, flexibility, resistance to external effects, lightness and elasticity. The conventional techniques used for cleaning and disinfecting removable dentures made of thermoplastic polymers fail to be up to the respective advanced requirements – such dentures create environments that are favorable for adhesion and microbial colonization. Aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of the modern means used for cleaning and disinfecting removable denture structures based on thermoplastic polymers, there was a study carried out to investigate the surface of 60 experimental samples of Acry-free ® thermoplastic, including methods of scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. To analyze the effect that cleaning and disinfecting agents work on the hygienic status of partially removable dentures made of thermoplastics (manufactured for 74 patients suffering from partial adentia), the Ambjornsen E. questionnaire was employed. The developed original set of preventive measures involved thorough oral hygiene activities with a manual toothbrush and mouthwash balms, as well as a consistent use of a special toothbrush and gel paste to take care of the removable dentures, followed with ultrasonic treatment and cleansing with effervescent tablets. The data of scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy showed that using the original set of preventive measures resulted in improved quality of the thermoplastic polymers surface – by 1.1 – 1.5 times, if compared with conventional hygiene and disinfection products. As the data of sociological monitoring reveal, 12 into using the developed preventive measures, over 69% of patients were satisfied with the aesthetic properties of their dentures based on thermoplastics; as for the patients sticking to the practice relying on traditional hygiene and disinfection products, the similar indicator would not exceed 25%. In order to prevent the occurrence of major dental issues, as well as to increase the useful life of dentures made of thermoplastics and used by patients with partial adentia, it is wise to employ an individual approach to the selection of preventive measures that involve specialized extra hygiene products.