Ultrasonic cleaning with immersion solution may improve denture hygiene and stomatitis: Study

A new study conducted by Tong Wah Lim and team found that patient satisfaction, denture cleanliness, and denture stomatitis markedly improved following ultrasonic cleaning combined with chemical cleaner intervention. The findings of this study were published in the Journal of Dentistry.

The frequency and prevalence of tooth loss in older adults are considerable due to the rapidly aging population. Significant tooth loss is linked to increased frailty, poor nutritional status, and cognitive decline in older adults, in addition to its negative impact on oral function and architecture. Inadequate maintenance of dentures has been linked to denture stomatitis and has been shown to raise the incidence of dental caries and periodontal disorders in the individuals with surviving teeth. Maintaining proper denture cleanliness is essential for maintaining oral health and lowering the risk of systemic and mouth infections. Dentures should be cleaned mechanically and chemically, according to a Cochrane study.

Thus, this study compared the effectiveness of two denture cleaning interventions which were the control (immersion in denture cleanser solution followed by conventional brushing) and the test (ultrasonic cleaner combined with immersion in denture cleanser solution) in terms of increasing denture cleanliness, lowering denture stomatitis, and raising patient satisfaction.

A 3-month intervention was the subject of a prospective, block-randomised, two-period crossover, single-blind, superiority-controlled clinical study. Pre-intervention (2 weeks), intervention (1 month), washout (2 weeks), and intervention (2 months) were all part of the research design. 56 elderly people who lived in the community were split into two groups using block randomization as sequence Control/Test and sequence Test/Control. Generalized Estimating Equations models were used to evaluate the intervention, period, and carryover effects for changes in patient satisfaction, denture stomatitis, and changes in the cleanliness of extended partial and complete acrylic dentures.

After 3 months, there was a substantial improvement in percentage plaque area covered, patient satisfaction, and denture stomatitis for both the intervention and control groups. When compared to the control arm, the intervention arm showed a substantial improvement in denture cleaning and patient satisfaction. The variations in denture plaque covering were also substantially correlated with denture wearer age and denture wearing practices. In contrast to the control arm, the impact of test intervention on denture stomatitis did not change substantially.

Overall, the outcomes of this study found that among older people who live in the community, the test intervention group outperformed the control group in terms of denture cleanliness and patient satisfaction. It is advised that older persons maintain optimal denture hygiene by using this test intervention.

Reference:

Lim, T. W., Burrow, M. F., & McGrath, C. (2024). Efficacy of ultrasonic home-care denture cleaning versus conventional denture cleaning: A randomised crossover clinical trial. In Journal of Dentistry (Vol. 148, p. 105215). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2024.105215