Abstract:
The proper denture hygiene is important to reduce the risk of denture stomatitis. Mechanical cleaning is not sufficient to remove the dental plaque from acrylic denture base, accordingly chemical cleaning is needed. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of chemical cleaning methods in removing Candida albicans from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) by comparing the remaining viable cells after cleaning. The total of 120 specimens were prepared. Candida albicans was cultured in broth to log phase. All specimens were randomly placed in 24-well tissue culture plate with 1 ml of Candida albicans cultured for biofilm formation at 37 degree Celsius for 24 hours. After that, all specimens were randomly immersed in 20 experimental groups of cleaning methods including distilled water as the negative controls for 1 hour and 12, 0.1% acetic acid for 1 hour and 12 hours, 0.2% acetic acid for 1 hour and 12 hours, 3 mg/ml oligomer chitosan for 1 hour and 12 hours, 6 mg/ml oligomer chitosan for 1 hour and 12 hours, 3 mg/ml 30 kDa chitosan for 1 hour and 12 hours, 6 mg/ml 30 kDa chitosan for 1 hour and 12 hours, Polident® for 5 minutes, 1 hour and 12 hours and 0.2% chlorhexidine for 15 minutes, 1 hour and 12 hours. The viable cells of Candida albicans after cleaning were determined by MTT assay as optical density and calculated into the percentage for statistically analysis. The results showed that the cleaning method which had the highest efficacy to remove Candida albicans from PMMA was using 3 mg/ml oligomer chitosan with 12-hours immersion time compared with other experimental groups except all of chitosan groups with 12-hours immersion, the percentage of viable cells after this cleaning method was 6.22±4.30% (p < 0.05) by using One-Way ANOVA for statistically analysis. The results of this study concluded that 3 mg/ml oligomer chitosan can used as antifungal denture cleanser to reduce Candida albicans.
