Microbial Adhesion and Biofilm Formation on Denture Base Materials

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) has been the material of choice for fabricating complete dentures for more than 80 years now.(1,2) As a material it is easy to handle and can be easily repaired and polished. PMMA while being a low-cost material has good esthetics. Some disadvantages of PMMA as a material are surface roughness and porosities which lead to staining, plaque accumulation and bacterial adhesion over time. Among the various factors that can influence microbial attachment to surfaces, surface roughness, hydrophilicity and free surface energy of PMMA are most important. Carboxylate and methyl ester groups found in PMMA make it a very hydrophilic material with a large amount of free surface energy. Despite the influence of the chemical composition, processing methods play the most important role in developing surface roughness.