Experience in the use of hygienic tablets for cleaning removable dentures

Abstract

Approximately 20—30% of people over the age of 65 in Russia wear removable dentures. They are usually made of materials that can collect food particles — a breeding ground for bacteria. Protefix cleaning tablets, based on sodium perborate with potassium peroxomonosulphate, are one of the ways to care for dentures. When dissolved in water, they release hydrogen peroxide and, according to the manufacturer, effectively remove plaque without damaging the denture material and destroy almost all pathogens. The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of Protefix cleaning tablets in patients with partially removable dentures.
Materials and methods.
The study included 40 patients aged between 60 and 74 years who did not use any special care products. Group I patients (n=20) started using Protefix cleaning tablets, group II patients continued to care for their dentures in the same way. The Denture Cleanliness Index (DCI) was measured before the study and after 30 days according to the method of Ulitovsky—Leontiev (2008).
Results.
Before the study, the DCI in both groups was 4.25 (poor cleanliness). After 30 days, the HDI decreased to 2.02 (good level of cleanliness) in group I patients, while it decreased insignificantly (to 4.40) in group II patients.
Conclusion.
The use of Protefix cleaning tablets for removable dentures improves the quality of hygienic care of prosthetic constructions. Patients noted the convenience of use, elimination of unpleasant odours and improvement in the appearance of dentures. Protefix cleansing tablets can be recommended for daily use by patients with removable dentures.