Efficacy of anti-biofilm protocols for cleansing full dentures in hospitalized individuals

According to a recent study, soaking dentures in 1% sodium hypochlorite for 10 minutes without any brushing was found to be a simple, quick, affordable, and efficient way to clean the dentures of hospitalized patients. This study’s results were published in the Journal of applied oral science.

The maxillary complete dentures of 340 hospitalized participants were subjected to random cleaning using 17 different protocols (n=20 participants). The cleaning methods included brushing with distilled water, neutral liquid soap, or toothpaste, (considered as controls), as well as immersion in chemical solutions such as 1% sodium hypochlorite, alkaline peroxide, 0.12% or 2% chlorhexidine digluconate. Additionally, some dentures were subjected to microwave irradiation (650 W for 3 min), either alone or in combination with brushing. The effectiveness of these protocols was assessed by evaluating the biofilm of the intaglio surface of the maxillary complete dentures before and after cleaning. Two methods used for evaluation include : microbiological quantitative cultures on blood agar and Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (CFU/mL) as well as denture biofilm coverage area (%). The collected data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Significant reductions in the percentage area of denture biofilm and microbial and fungal load were achieved by all 17 protocols. The most significant reductions in denture biofilm area were observed with 1% hypochlorite solution with or without brushing, and with 2% chlorhexidine solution and microwave irradiation combined with brushing. The greatest reductions in microbial and fungal load were noted in groups that used 1% hypochlorite solutions and 2% chlorhexidine, as well as microwave irradiation, regardless of brushing .

Thus, it can be concluded that a single immersion of dentures in 1% sodium hypochlorite for 10 minutes, without brushing is a simple, quick, cost-effective, and efficient method for cleaning dentures in hospitalized patients.