Effect of an Indigenous Cleanser on the Microbial Biofilm on Acrylic Denture Base - A Pilot Study

Introduction: Edentulous patients wearing dentures may develop Candidiasis or denture sore mouth due to improper cleaning of the dentures. Denture cleansers remove not only the biofilm, but also stains and other forms of debris of food on dentures. Since people prefer natural substances for daily use, a natural indigenous cleanser was prepared to replace the chemical denture cleansing solution. Aim: The aim of this study was to check the effect of soapnut on Candida and Streptococcus mutans biofilm formed on dentures compared with control and commercially available Clanden tablet. Materials and Methods: 18 heat cure acrylic blocks were fabricated and (DPI heat cure) and divided into two groups for biofilm formation of C.albicans and S.mutans with 9 blocks in each group. Three solutions: distilled water(control), commercial cleanser (Clanden tablet- Global Dent Aids Pvt Ltd) and indigenous solution(soapnut) were used to check biofilm cleansing efficiency by crystal violet staining method and optical density (OD) analysis using spectrophotometry. 24 hours bacterial culture was carried out to check for zone of inhibition of the test solution. The biofilm cleansing ability tests was done thrice in triplicate. The statistical analysis was performed by Student T-test Results: The highest OD values were obtained in the S.mutans group tested with control (Water). Least values were obtained in C.albicansgroup tested with Clandon tablet. But, similar result was seen with the indigenous solution as well. No significant difference was seen between the effects of the two test specimens on either group of microorganisms compared with that of the control group. A zone of inhibition was seen around the indigenous solution. Conclusion: Indigenous denture cleanser is an effective solution for daily denture hygiene maintenance.