Reduction of the Yeats in Total Dentures Using Luffa Cylindrica

The presence of Candida albicans in surfaces of total upper dentures is the main cause of atrophic candidosis associated to prosthesis. The careless with the hygiene of the dentures favours the development of this infection. Objectives:The aim of this study was to test an alternative method to clean total dentures improving the oral health. Methods:Thirty total dentures from 15 patients of both genders, aged between 50 and 80 years old, were cleansed. Each denture was divided in two quadrants; one was cleaned with conventional toothbrush and the other with the vegetable sponge during 1 minute. After this period both sponge and toothbrush were transferred to tubes with 10 mL of sterile saline solution. After shaking during 1 minute, aliquots of 0.1 mL were plated on Sabouraud Dextrose with cloranphenicol agar. The plates were incubated in 37⁰C/48h and after this period it was determined the number of cfu/mL of Candida present in the samples.Results: A higher number of cfu/mL of Candida was isolated the samples using the vegetable sponge (p<0.05). There was a statistical difference comparing the number of yeasts from upper and lower dentures with both methods (ANOVA,p<0.05). Conclusions:The results suggest that vegetable sponge was more effective than conventional toothbrush removing Candida of total dentures surfaces. Sponge can be used as a mechanical method to substitute the conventional toothbrush in oral and denture hygiene.