Assessing the Porosity of Denture Base Acrylic Resin Loaded With Fluconazole

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Mycology

Background:

• Heat-cured acrylic resin is widely used in dentistry, particularly for dentures.
• Denture-induced stomatitis is a common oral condition often linked to microbial overgrowth.
• Fluconazole is an antifungal medication that could potentially be incorporated into dental materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of incorporating fluconazole pure (FLUp) at 10% and fluconazole from capsules (FLUcap) at 25% on the porosity of heat-cured acrylic resin.
• To assess if these fluconazole modifications affect the physical properties of the acrylic resin relevant to its clinical performance.

Main Methods:

• Thirty disc-shaped acrylic resin samples were prepared and divided into three groups: control, FLUp 10% modified, and FLUcap 25% modified.
• Porosity was measured using the gravimetric method (Archimedes' principle) at two time points: before (T1) and after 28 days of immersion in distilled water at 37°C (T2).
• Statistical analysis included Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests to compare porosity between groups and time points.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences in porosity were observed among the control, FLUp, and FLUcap groups at either time point (p > 0.05).
• Porosity within the FLUp group remained unchanged between T1 and T2 (p > 0.05).
• A significant difference in porosity was noted in the FLUcap group between T1 and T2 (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• The addition of both fluconazole pure and fluconazole from capsules did not significantly alter the porosity of heat-cured acrylic resin.
• Fluconazole-modified acrylic resin shows promise as an antimicrobial dental material, potentially aiding in managing denture-induced stomatitis.
• This study provides a foundation for future clinical research into fluconazole-enhanced dental materials.