Aim: This study aimed to verify the influence of oral environment and denture cleansers on the surface roughness and hardness of two different denture base materials.
Methods: A total of sixteen identical removable disc specimens (RDS) were processed. Eight RDS were made from heat-cured acrylic resin (AR) and the other eight were fabricated from thermoplastic injection moulded resin (TR). Surface roughness and hardness of DRS were measured using ultrasonic profilometry and Universal testing machine respectively. Then the four RDS (two AR and two of TR) were fixed to each maxillary denture, after three months RDS were retrieved. Surface roughness and hardness of RDS have measured again.
Results: The surface roughness measurements revealed no significant difference (p >0.05) for both disc groups at baseline. However, both groups showed a significant increase in the surface roughness after three months with higher mean value for (TR) group. On the other hand, the (AR) group showed higher hardness mean value than (TR) group at baseline with no significant decrease in the hardness values (p >0.05) following three months follow-up period.
Conclusions: Denture cleansers have an effect on the denture's surface roughness and hardness concurrently with an oral condition which will consequently influence the complete dentures' lifetime and patients' satisfaction.
Keywords: Clinical study; complete denture; denture base hardness; denture base roughness; denture cleansing.