Does microwave disinfection affect the dimensional stability of denture base acrylic resins? A systematic review

To systematically evaluate the effect of microwave disinfection on the dimensional stability of denture base acrylic resins.

Microwave disinfection has been considered as an alternative method for disinfecting complete dentures to help prevent and treat denture stomatitis. However, data on the impact of microwave disinfection on the dimensional stability of acrylic resins are still scarce.

The PubMed/Medline, SCOPUS and EMBASE databases were searched in order to assess articles published in English up to January 2021 (CRD42021212267). We included studies that have assessed the effect of microwave disinfection, on the dimensional stability of acrylic resins, comparing them with negative or positive controls.

A total of seven in vitro studies were included. The qualitative synthesis demonstrated that, in general, microwave disinfection produced more distortion on the materials than do immersion in sodium hypochlorite, chloride solution, chlorhexidine, and water immersion. However, considering the dimensional stability of the specimens, microwave disinfection at 500 W for 3 minutes, and at 450 W for 5 minutes, produced similar or better outcomes than did control groups.

In general, microwave disinfection promotes changes in the dimensional stability of denture base acrylic resins, and should thus be used with caution. However, microwave disinfection protocols at lower power settings (500 and 450 W) and exposure times (3 and 5 minutes) produces similar or less distortion than chemical disinfection. More studies are still required in order to evaluate the clinical and long-term implications of microwave disinfection.