Effect of denture cleansers on chemical and mechanical behavior of selected soft lining materials.

Objectives: The aim of this investigation was to determine the effect of storage in disinfectants and artificial saliva on a series of commercial soft lining materials for dentures. Changes in mechanical properties and the nature of chemicals released into these solutions were studied.

Methods: Four soft lining materials were studied (Vertex Soft® and Villacryl Soft®, both of which are plasticized acrylics; Molloplast B® and Mollosil®, both of which are silicone elastomers). All were cured according to manufacturers' instructions, and then cylindrical specimens (6 mm height × 10 mm diameter) prepared. These were stored under various conditions then loaded in uniaxial compression and the stress measured at a strain corresponding to a 10% deformation to determine Young's modulus. Storage involved exposure either to the following disinfectants: 2% aqueous chlorhexidine gluconate, 2% aqueous sodium hypochlorite, Corega Tabs® cleansing tablets or 3% aqueous hydrogen peroxide; or to artificial saliva. For the latter, storage involved either immersion in artificial saliva at 37°C for the whole study, or immersion for 16h a day and dry at room temperature for the next 8h each day. GC/MS was used to determine species leached into these solutions.

Results: The acrylic materials Villacryl Soft and Vertex Soft became less elastic on storage for up to 28 days whereas the silicone materials Molloplast B and Mollosil, showed no change in elastic properties. Various compounds were found to be released from these materials, including EGDMA, methyl methacrylate and dibutyl phthalate. Generally, the silicones were more stable than acrylics, releasing smaller amounts of the various eluants. In all cases, amounts eluted were well below permitted exposure limits.

Significance: Practical denture cleansing agents affect the properties of soft lining materials, reducing their elastomeric character, acrylics being more adversely affected than the silicones. These changes are associated with the loss of various chemicals, including plasticizers and monomers, from the soft lining materials.