[Preferred zones of accumulation of prosthetic microbial plaque on removable complete dentures]. / Zones de prédilection d'accumulation de la plaque microbienne prothétique en prothèse amovible complète.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Denture plaque (DP) is not visible with naked eye when it is not mineralized or not fully fixed. Describing and studying its qualitative and quantitative aspects in Complete Dentures (CD) require precisely-located sampling but selection criteria have not yet been well defined. In order to improve our treatment and preventive strategies for patients with CD, it is necessary to explore the various DP accumulation zones on CD fitting surfaces. PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to assess the DP accumulation on fitting surfaces of CD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Distribution of DP accumulation zones was assessed by naked eye observation of the fitting surfaces on 31 maxillary and 31 mandibular CD. The prostheses were to be carried regularly since at least one year. The data were collected at the Prosthodontics department of the Annaba University Medical Center in Algeria. Prostheses were immersed for 24 hours in a plaque disclosing solution containing erythrosin 2% (Dento-Plaque Inava). The maxillary fitting surface was divided into five sectors the post damming zone (1MaxFS), the top of the palate zone (2MaxFS), the incisor zone (3MaxFS), the maxillary tuberosity zone (4MaxFS), and the end of the canine and 1st premolar zone (5MaxFS). For mandibular fitting surfaces trigonal and retromolar zone (1ManFS), canine and 1st premolar zone (2ManFS), and incisor zone (3ManFS). RESULTS: DP distribution was found to be homogeneous on the fitting surface of mandibular CD, however it was distributed in unequal way on the maxillary fitting surfaces. We noted a highly significant difference (p < 0.001) in the staining frequencies of the targeted zones. The most colored zone was the post damming one (1MaxFS), with a rate of 96.7%, whereas the least colored zone was the top of palate one (2MaxFS), with 35.5%. On the mandibular fitting surfaces, the rate of staining was 93.5% for the trigonal and retromolar zone (1ManFS) versus 83.8% on canine, 1st premolar (2ManFS) and incisor (3ManFS) zones. There was no significant difference (p = 0.422). CONCLUSION: The accumulation of DP was found to be homogeneous on mandibular fitting surfaces and no homogeneous on maxillary fitting surfaces. These results require further investigations in order to understand the causes of this difference. This will allow us to improve our treatment and preventive strategies for edentulous patients.