Effectiveness of Cleaning Methods for Resilient Denture Liners: A Three-Period Randomized Crossover Trial

Area of Science:

• Dental materials science
• Microbiology
• Clinical dentistry

Background:

• Inadequate denture hygiene is a known risk factor for aspiration pneumonia.
• Effective cleaning protocols for conventional dentures exist, but research on resilient denture liners (RDLs) is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of mechanical, chemical, and dual (mechanical + chemical) cleaning methods.
• To assess biofilm removal from hard-resin liners, acrylic-based RDLs, and silicone-based RDLs.

Main Methods:

• A three-period randomized crossover clinical trial involving edentulous patients.
• Specimens of hard-resin liner and two types of RDLs (silicone-based and acrylic-based) were fabricated directly in patients' mouths.
• Participants used each of the three cleaning interventions for two weeks, followed by microbial CFU counts.

Main Results:

• The dual-cleaning method significantly reduced CFU counts compared to mechanical cleaning for acrylic-based RDLs only.
• No significant differences in CFU counts were found between cleaning methods for silicone-based RDLs and hard-resin liners.
• Silicone-based RDLs exhibited the highest CFU counts, followed by acrylic-based RDLs, and then hard-resin liners.

Conclusions:

• A combined mechanical and chemical cleaning strategy is most effective for relined dentures, specifically for acrylic-based RDLs.
• The effectiveness of dual cleaning is limited to acrylic-based RDLs, with no added benefit for silicone-based RDLs or hard liners.