Effect of denture cleansers with and without fatigue stress on retention of locator attachments: in-vitro study

Abstract

Background To evaluate the effect of denture cleansers with and without fatigue stress on the retention of the locator attachments. Materials and methods Three dummy implants of length (13 mm) and a diameter of 4.2 mm with their locator abutments were embedded into three acrylic resin blocks. Seventy pink locator attachments were divided into three groups: 10 for group I, 30 for each group II and group III. Group I exposed to 600 cycles of insertion and removal equivalent to 6 months use, group II and group III was subdivided into three subgroups, A, B, C according to the type of cleaner which was soaked in water, chlorhexidine gluconate 2% and alkaline peroxide solution for a period equivalent to 6 months. Group III was soaked in water, chlorhexidine gluconate 2% and alkaline peroxide solution, then exposed to 600 cycles of insertion and removal. The pink locator was tested for load to dislodgment on universal testing machine with a load cell of 5 kN at a crosshead speed of two in/min. Retention of locator attachments were statistically analyzed using Mann–Whitney test. Difference of mean values between more than two groups was tested by Friedman χ2-test. Results Group I: The retention of pink locator attachments was significantly decreased after 600 cycles of insertion and removal P = 0.005. Group II: The retentive value for attachment soaked in chlorhexidine gluconate 2% and that soaked in alkaline peroxide solution was significantly lower than that soaked in water (P = 0.001). Group III: the locator soaked in water and chlorhexidine gluconate 2% and alkaline peroxide solution was significantly affected after 600 cycles of insertion and removal. Conclusion Chlorhexidine gluconate 2% and alkaline peroxide solution has significant decrease the retention of pink locator attachment. Fatigue has significant effect on the retention of locator attachment either with or without the use of denture cleansers.