Efficacy of denture cleansers on denture liners with Candida species

Introduction: As poor oral hygiene is related to Candida colonization, disinfectant solutions have been proposed as an effective method of preventing denture stomatitis. Objectives: This study assessed the efficacy of denture cleansers on C. albicans and C. glabrata adherence, and compared Candida species adherence levels to denture liners. Methods: Specimens of three denture liners (Coe Soft, Kooliner, Ufi Gel P) were prepared and had their surface roughness (Ra) and surface free energy (SFE) measured, randomly divided and used in an adherence assay with C. albicans or C. glabrata. Three disinfectant solutions (Polident 3 minutes, Efferdent and 0.5% sodium hypochlorite - NaOCl) were investigated. The lining materials were contaminated with the fungus one at a time followed by disinfection tests. The specimens were soaked for 3 to 15 minutes (depending on the disinfectant). The control group specimens were soaked in distilled water for 15 minutes. Candida adhesion was determined by light microscopy (400 x). Statistical analyses were performed by ANOVA (Ra and Candida species adhesion) and ANOVA on Ranks (SFE) (á=.05). Results: Ra of the silicone-based liner (Ufi Gel P) was lower than the PMMA-based ones (p<.05), whilst SFE was different for all substrata (p<.05). C. glabrata showed higher adhesion rates in all tested groups (p<.001). The lowest levels of Candida adherence were found for the treatment with NaOCl (p = 0.0019) and no difference among denture cleansers and control was found (p = 0.19). There was no correlation among SFE, Ra and C. glabrata adherence. However, the overall results showed a weak positive correlation for C. albicans adherence and SFE/Ra for the PMMA-based materials. Conclusion: The only treatment able to reduce both Candida species adherence in all materials tested was 0.5% sodium hypochlorite.