Clean-O-Denture - a device to improve denture hygiene - Dr. Pranit Bora

Why did you create it?

Deprived denture hygiene is associated with a dearth of guidance, intrinsic characteristics of the denture, and weakened manual dexterity of most denture wearers due to old age. Poor denture hygiene leads to an accumulation of biofilm, which is a dense microbial layer. It has also been suggested that oral microorganisms are allied with systemic disease and that dentures epitomize a reservoir for these microorganisms. Denture plaque is associated not only with oral diseases, such as denture stomatitis, periodontitis, and caries, but also systemic diseases, including aspiration pneumonia, gastrointestinal infection, and pleural infection. Thus, effective denture plaque control is vital to avert these infections, especially in elderly people. To meet these prerequisites of cleaning denture numerous products are available in the market but inconclusive outcomes of these products discourage the population to use them as a routine denture hygiene measure. So in order to address these issues, a device combing all three measures of cleaning denture is designed so as to attain conclusive outcomes.

 

What problem does it address and solve?

Although dentists tend to objectively evaluate denture cleanliness, elderly patients often show little interest in the matter. Moreover, denture brushing is often challenging for older and physically impaired denture wearers.

 There are three methods of denture cleaning: mechanical, chemical, and ultrasonic. The mechanical method uses brushes, the chemical method involves soaking the denture in cleansers, and the ultrasonic method involves the use of ultrasonic devices.

An amalgamation of all denture cleaning methods is more effective at improving objective denture cleanliness than the mechanical method alone. Although a combination of mechanical and chemical methods reduces the abundance of biofilm on dentures to a greater extent has been proven in various studies. So a device combing all the methods in order to give irrefutable results has been developed.

 

How did you test it?

 

The efficacy of denture washers has been tested in three different stages.

1. A study was conducted in patients reporting with the old set of dentures to Dept of Prosthodontics, K. M. Shah Dental College, Vadodara underwent cleaning in this prototyped device, and cleaning efficacy was tested. 
2. A prototyped device was presented to an old age home. The process was shown to denture wearers and caretakers. Their review regarding the device was recorded. The main concern of caretakers, like the spread of splatter and obnoxious feeling while cleaning dentures was taken care of by this device. As well people having issues with manual dexterity found the device accessible and stress-free to handle.
3. Study regarding pre and post microbiological load is been undergoing results are awaited.

 

Tell us something about its current status and your future plans

A prototype device has been devised and has been tested for cleaning efficacy, and the device has been applied for a design patent. Further product development and commercialization will be done with the financial support of startups and entrepreneurs.

 

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