Effect of toothbrushes and denture brushes on heat-polymerized acrylic resins

It is important to choose an appropriate brush for denture cleaning to prevent damage to the surface properties of prosthetic devices. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the abrasiveness of toothbrushes and denture brushes on boiled and microwave-processed acrylic resins. Specimens of 4 resin brands were prepared (n = 30). Five brands of brushes (n = 6) were used in a toothbrushing machine, first for 17,800 strokes and then for an additional 35,600 strokes (total of 53,400), at a load of 200 g. An analytical balance and a profilometer were used to assess the weight and surface roughness, respectively, before and after 17,800 and 53,400 strokes. Analysis of variance and Tukey tests were used for data analysis (α = 0.05). Weight loss increased with time, while surface roughness remained the same. There were no statistically significant differences among toothbrushes and denture brushes in the resulting weight loss (17,800 strokes, 1.83 mg; 53,400 strokes, 3.78 mg) or surface roughness (17,800 or 53,400 strokes, 0.14 µm). The weight loss values after 53,400 brush strokes indicated that Clássico (2.28 mg) and VIPI Wave (2.75 mg) presented significantly greater abrasion resistance than Lucitone 550 (3.36 mg) and Onda-Cryl (2.85 mg) (P < 0.05). The type of brush and the polymerization method did not influence resin wear after brushing.