Objective: To study the change in properties of heat-polymerized acrylic resin after using one denture cleanser.
Methods: In the study, 20 disk-shaped (50.0 mm×0.5 mm) and 40 rectangular (34.0 mm×13.5 mm×1.3 mm) specimens prepared from heat-polymerized acrylic resin were randomly divided into four groups. The specimens were exposed to one of the three treatments as follows: Group 1 was without any treatment, Group 2 was exposed to air, Group 3 to distilled water, and Group 4 to Polident. The 4 exposures lasting 8 hours were conducted daily and repeated for 30 days. The color stability of heat-polymerized acrylic resin was determined by visual methods. The flexural strength and bonding strength of acrylic resin were measured using a universal testing machine. All the results were analyzed using ANOVA.
Results: The flexural strength test of acrylic resin demonstrated significant differences between Group 4 and Group 1 (P<0.05), there were no significant differences among Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3. No significant differences were found in other properties of the test materials.
Conclusion: Long-term use of polident could alter the physical and mechnical properties of heat-polymerized acrylic resin. It may be related to the accelerating aging of resins caused by certain chemicals in denture cleansers. Polident may have some adverse effects on denture materials for decreasing flexural strength of heat-polymerized acrylic resin after 30-day immersion.