Evaluating the efficiency of humic acid to remove micro-organisms from denture base material

Clinical study of the biofilm of implant-supported complete dentures in healthy patients

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to quantify the area covered by biofilm and identify bacteria and yeasts present in mandibular acrylic resin full-arch implant-supported fixed prostheses.

BACKGROUND

Biofilm control of implant-supported fixed prosthesis is hampered by their design, and it can cause oral and systemic problems, mainly in immunocompromised patients like the elder. Knowledge about microbiota reinforces the awareness about the need for periodic professional cleaning maintenance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty prostheses were unscrewed, washed in 0.89% sodium chloride, stained with eosin 1% and photographed. The area covered by biofilm was digitally delimited and quantified. Biofilm samples were collected, diluted up to 1:10⁷ , seeded in chromogenic agar media and incubated for 48 hours, at 37°C, for counting of colony-forming units (CFU/mL). DNA hybridization was performed to complement the identification and quantification of microorganisms. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney test, Spearman correlation and Fisher's exact test (α = .05).

RESULTS

An average of 62% of the gingival surface of the prostheses was covered by biofilm. Enterococcus spp. (5.82 ± 1.38 log₁₀ CFU/mL) and Staphylococcus aureus (5.75 ± 2.02 log₁₀ CFU/mL) showed higher prevalence in cultures. Patients with five implants had less biofilm compared to those with four implants (P = .031) but had higher Escherichia coli counts (P = .039). In DNA hybridization, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Veillonella parvula and Fusobacterium nucleatum presented higher quantification and were present in all the samples; patients over 65 years old contained more Candida tropicalis (P = .049); prostheses on five implants presented lower quantification for several species.

CONCLUSION

Biofilm was present on all prostheses, containing potentially pathogenic microorganisms. The number of implants may play a role in quantification of biofilm and in microorganism counts.

Antifungal effect of tea extracts on Candida albicans

Determining whether tea extracts are effective in removing Candida albicans (C. albicans) from dentures is of interest. This study aimed to investigate the antifungal effect of tea extracts on C. albicans. One green tea (Anji white tea, AGW) and 2 oolong teas (Tie Guan Yin, TGY; Da Hong Pao, DHP) of different concentrations were tested. C. albicans suspensions were inoculated on the plates and the numbers of colony-forming units (CFU) in the culture medium were used to screen for the optimum tea extracts. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) specimens that contained C. albicans biofilms were then treated with the tea extracts and the numbers of CFU were counted. The antifungal activities of the tea extracts were not significantly correlated with their catechin concentrations. Although AGW at 10.0 mg/mL and DHP at 2.5 mg/mL significantly inhibited C. albicans in the culture medium, the extracts failed to exert inhibitory effects against C. albicans biofilms on the PMMA surfaces.