DENTURE BASED POLYMERS Key Inventor

Currently, the most widely used denture-base material, poly(methyl methacrylate), a polymer, does not efficiently bind natural antimicrobial cationic proteins secreted in saliva as part of the pellicle surface (a thin layer of salivary glycoproteins and immunoglobulins, including mucins, amylase, and secretory IgA, deposited on teeth and other oral cavity surfaces). These antimicrobial peptides are absorbed onto teeth and oral cavity surfaces by electrostatic forces. However, poly(methyl methacrylate) does not have any ionically charged groups, and thus no electrostatic forces are present to absorb such antimicrobial peptides. This lack of antimicrobials in the pellicle may facilitate the colonization of Candida albicans and other microbial pathogens, and commonly results in Candidaassociated denture infection (stomatitis) among denture wearers. Treatment of this condition is difficult due to incomplete disinfection and rapid reoccurrence of microbial colonization.