Effects of Denture Cleansers on Heat-Polymerized Acrylic Resin: A Five-Year-Simulated Period of Use.

This study evaluated color stability, surface roughness and flexural strength of acrylic resin after immersion in alkaline peroxide and alkaline hypochlorite solutions, simulating a five-year-period of use. Sixty disc-shaped (16 x 4 mm) and 60 rectangular specimens (65 x 10 x 3.3 mm) were prepared from heat-polymerized acrylic resin (Lucitone 550) and assigned to 3 groups (n = 20) of immersion (20 min): C1: distilled water; AP: warm water and one alkaline peroxide tablet; SH: 0.5% NaOCl solution. Color data (∆E) were determined by a colorimeter and also quantified according to the National Bureau of Standards units. A rugosimeter was used to measure roughness (μm) and the flexural strength (MPa) was measured using a universal testing machine. Data were evaluated by Kruskal-Wallis followed by Dunn tests (color stability and surface roughness) and by one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni test (flexural strength). For all tests was considered α = 0.05. AP {0.79 (0.66;1.42)} caused color alteration significantly higher than C1 {0.45 (0.37;0.57)} and SH {0.34 (0.25;0.42)}. The mean ∆Ε values quantified by NBS were classified as "trace" for C1 (0.43) and SH (0.31) and "slight" for AP (0.96). SH {-0.015 (-0.023;0.003)} caused significantly higher ΔRa than the C1 {0.000 (-0.004;0.010)} and AP {0.000 (-0.009;0.008)} groups. There was no statistically significant difference among the solutions for flexural strength (C1: 84.62 ± 16.00, AP: 85.63 ± 12.99, SH: 84.22 ± 14.72). It was concluded that immersion in alkaline peroxide and NaOCl solutions simulating a five-year of 20 min daily soaking did not cause clinically significant adverse effects on the heat-polymerized acrylic resin.