Quantification of deposits formed in the oral cavity on various materials after a 1-year period

Deposits are formed on natural teeth as well as on various polymeric and metallic materials. Deposit formation is complex and controlled by numerous poorly understood parameters. This article presents a new method for quantification of in vivo deposit formation on multiple materials. Seven different materials were positioned at six different sites in the buccal flanges of a removable prosthesis. Nine volunteers wore these prostheses for 1 year. The deposits were graded by three independent observers under a stereomicroscope at X20 magnification. Plots of average deposition value averaged for all participants and sites are given. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) had the lowest deposition value in this trial. The standard error is approximately 15% of the mean value. The results show that after 1 year in vivo the roughness of the experimental materials increased by a factor of two to six times. The method presented is suitable to quantify deposit formation on multiple materials in vivo.