Enzymes as denture cleansers.

It was the purpose of the study to test the efficiency of dextranase, mutanase, and protease in removing denture plaque. The study group comprised 100 denture-wearers with denture stomatitis. The enzymes were dispensed as dissolvent tablets either in pure or in mixed preparations. Placebo tablets and Steradent, a commercial denture cleanser, were used as control tablets. The following parameters were studied: the amount of denture plaque, the degree of palatal erythema, and the concentration of yeast cells and inflammatory cells in mucosal and denture smears. The study was designed and carried out as a double-blind study. The dissolvent tablets containing the enzymes in mixed preparations were more effective than the tablets containing the pure enzymes, the placebo tablets, or the Steradent tablets. The beneficial effect of the mixed enzyme preparations included a significant reduction of the amount of denture plaque and an improvement of the clinical condition of the palatal mucosa.