Maxillofacial prostheses are used in rehabilitation of patients with facial defects. Typically, these prostheses are fabricated with medical grade silicone and are tinted corresponding to the patients’ natural skin color. However, exposure to environment and disinfectants can result in color changes. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of four different disinfection methods on the color stability of precolored and hand-colored maxillofacial silicones. Forty specimens each of precolored and hand-colored silicone were prepared. The specimens were randomly divided into eight groups (n = 10) and cleansed with four different disinfection methods. Disinfection was carried out six times/day for 60 days, simulating once-a-day disinfection for a year. Color evaluation was carried out at day 0 and day 60 using a UV-vis spectrophotometer. Color alterations were calculated by the CIE system. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey HSD and t-tests (α = 0.05). Disinfectants can affect the color stability of maxillofacial silicone. In our study, chlorhexidine solution and liquid soap resulted in the highest color change. Precolored silicone showed higher color stability than its hand-colored counterpart.

Background: Lip and oral cavity cancer has been reported as the 10th most common cancer in Thailand. Recently, a screening program for oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and oral cancer was conducted in the northeastern Thailand which took into consideration a total of 371,911 people who resided in the provinces of Buriram, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Surin. Methods: A total of 330,914 subjects were consecutively screened for risk factors of oral cancer by village health volunteers (VHVs) using a questionnaire (S1). Then, 186,710 subjects with one or more risk factors for oral cancer were referred for oral screening by dental auxiliaries or dentists at sub-district level hospitals (S2) where 86,941 subjects were subsequently screened. Afterwards, 1576 subjects with suspicious oral lesions for OPMDs or oral cancer attended local hospitals for further investigation and treatment. Oral medicine specialists, oral surgeons, and local dentists at the district level hospitals performed biopsies and the samples were sent for histopathological analysis. The objectives of the study were to report the histopathology findings from the biopsies obtained from these subjects and the associated risk factors. Results: Out of 427 subjects who received biopsies, complete diagnostic results were obtained from 409 patients (462 specimens). The 5 most common histopathological results from these specimens were mild epithelial dysplasia (27.3%), fibroepithelial hyperplasia (14.5%), oral lichen planus/oral lichenoid reactions (11.5%), moderate epithelial dysplasia (8%), and acanthosis with or without hyperkeratosis (5%). Oral squamous cell carcinoma was detected in 14 subjects and 11 other forms of oral cancer were revealed. Among the analyzed risk factors, habitual betel quid chewing was established as a statistically significant risk factor associated with OPMDs and oral cancer. Conclusion: The most frequently observed histopathological results of clinically suspected oral cancer and OPMDs included mild epithelial dysplasia, fibroepithelial hyperplasia, oral lichen planus/oral lichenoid reactions, moderate epithelial dysplasia, and acanthosis with or without hyperkeratosis. Betel quid chewing habit was found to be associated with OPMDs and oral cancer.

Management of advanced-stage oral cancer adds a great burden to individuals and health care systems. Community-based oral cancer screening can be beneficial in early detection and treatment. In this study, a novel oral cancer screening program was conducted utilizing an existing network of health care personnel, facilities, and digital database management for efficient coverage of a large population. The screening program considered 392,396 individuals aged ≥40 from four northeastern provinces in Thailand. Three levels of screening were performed: S1 by village healthcare volunteers to identify risk groups, S2 by dental auxiliaries to visually identify abnormal oral lesions, and S3 by dentists for final diagnosis and management. A total of 349,318 individuals were interviewed for S1, and 192,688 were identified as a risk group. For S2, 88,201 individuals appeared, and 2969 were further referred. Out of 1779 individuals who appeared for S3, oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) were identified in 544, non-OPMDs in 1047, doubtful lesions in 52, and no results in 136 individuals. Final treatment was carried out in 704 individuals that included biopsies of 504 lesions, exhibiting 25 cancerous lesions and 298 OPMDs. This study is so far one of the largest oral cancer screening programs conducted in Thailand and showed effective implementation of community-based oral cancer screening.

Purpose: To study the antimicrobial effects of a novel vinegar-based denture cleansing agent on oral Streptococci and Candida species and the inhibitory effects on pre-formed bacterial and Candida biofilms on denture base.Methods: The microorganisms used in this study were Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), Streptococcus sobrinus (S. sobrinus), Streptococcus sanguinis (S. sanguinis), Candida albicans (C. albicans), and Candida glabrata (C. glabrata). The antimicrobial activity of novel vinegar solution was evaluated by time kill assay and biofilm grown on denture base.Results: Time kill assay showed that vinegar exhibited the highest antibacterial effect on S. sobrinus, S. sanguinis, and S. mutans after 15 min of treatment. A 99.9% reduction in C. glabrata and C. albicans required more than 4 and 6 h of treatment, respectively. Vinegar significantly inhibited streptococcal biofilm, with an approximately 6 log-reduction at 30 min of treatment. The results demonstrated that viable Candida cells in biofilm reduced in excess of 6-log CFU/mL after 3 h treatment with vinegar. Moreover, the vinegar-based denture cleanser inhibited bacterial and Candida biofilm formation compared to the control group without treatment with statistical significance.Conclusion: A novel vinegar-based denture cleansing agent showed moderate antibacterial properties, but required a slightly longer immersion time to attain anticandidal effects compared to Polident and 0.2% CHX.

Overcoming compromised oral hygiene and susceptibility to opportunistic oropharyngeal candidal infections in patients with a maxillectomy are critical challenges. Tissue conditioners incorporated with lemongrass essential oil has been shown to have promising antifungal properties, but the effects of this incorporation on the mechanical properties of tissue conditioners remain unexplored. The purpose of this in vitro study was to assess the effects of lemongrass essential oil incorporation at various concentrations on the tensile bond strength (TBS) and Shore A hardness (SAH) of tissue conditioners. The presence of lemongrass essential oil in the tissue conditioner was evaluated by using Raman spectroscopy. Unmodified tissue conditioner served as the control, whereas tissue conditioner incorporated with lemongrass essential oil (final concentrations of 1.77%, 3.56%, and 7.17% [w/w]) and tissue conditioner incorporated with Nystatin served as the experimental groups. The SAH of Coe-Comfort specimens was measured at 2 hours, 24 hours, 7 days, and 30 days for each testing group (n=3/group). The TBS of tissue conditioner to denture base acrylic resin was determined by using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 10 mm/minute (n=10/group). Furthermore, Raman spectra for the control and experimental tissue conditioner groups were obtained at 24 hours and 14 days. The data were analyzed with 2-way repeated measures ANOVA followed by the post hoc Bonferroni multiple comparison test for SAH testing and the 1-way ANOVA followed by the post hoc Tukey HSD multiple comparison test for TBS testing (α=.05). The unmodified tissue conditioner, 1.77% (w/w) lemongrass essential oil incorporated tissue conditioner, and Nystatin incorporated tissue conditioner showed no significant difference in SAH at ≤7 days (P>.05). However, at 30 days, the 1.77% (w/w) lemongrass essential oil and Nystatin groups showed no significant difference in SAH (P=.136), but both groups had significantly lower SAH compared with the control group (P=.016 and P<.001, respectively). The incorporation of 1.77% (w/w) lemongrass essential oil in tissue conditioners had no significant effect on TBS compared with the control group (P=.184), although both possessed significantly higher TBS than all remaining groups. In contrast, tissue conditioner incorporated with lemongrass essential oil concentrations ≥3.56% (w/w) and Nystatin showed a statistically significant decrease in TBS (P<.001). Raman spectrum analysis confirmed the presence of citral bands in the lemongrass essential oil incorporated specimens at 2 hours and 14 days, verifying its long-lasting presence. Incorporation of lemongrass essential oil in tissue conditioners at 1.77% (w/w) concentration produced both long-lasting antifungal properties and acceptable mechanical properties (SAH and TBS).