Glidewell, America’s largest and most innovative dental lab, today announced that 3D printed Simply Natural Digital Dentures now feature in vitro bactericidal and fungicidal effects, as evidenced through in vitrotest, eliminating >99.9% of the most common bacteria and fungi known to cause biofilm and infection on denture surfaces.
For denture wearers, reduced bacteria and fungi on the surface of the printed denture may result in a “cleaner” denture, with fewer microorganisms colonizing. This can lead to longer denture life and a more pleasant overall experience for the patient.
“Dentures are an essential treatment option, but they can also be very difficult to clean,” said David Morales, general manager of Glidewell’s removable appliances division. “By offering a denture with antimicrobial properties, we hope to maximize patient comfort and better protect their overall health.”
Simply Natural Digital Dentures are printed from Glidewell 3DP Denture Base Resin, developed and produced by Prismatik Dentalcraft, Inc., Glidewell’s in-house research and manufacturing division. The proprietary resin was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2023 for in vitro bactericidal and fungicidal effects, allowing Glidewell to promote the antimicrobial properties of Simply Natural Digital Dentures—an industry first.
“We are proud as an organization to invest in and develop unique technologies to serve the dental community,” said Glidewell CEO Stephenie Goddard. “Instead of purchasing printable denture resins from third parties, we set out to design and license our own resin materials – challenging the R&D team to provide an exciting antimicrobial feature to the process.”
The formulation of Glidewell 3DP Denture Base Resin contains sodium zirconium phosphate as an antimicrobial agent. In vitro studies showed >99.9% reduction coupled with long-term efficacy against Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus mitis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)and Enterococcus resistant to vancomycin (VRE). These microorganisms have been shown to lead to diseases such as denture stomatitis and accumulate as nettle biofilms on the surface of an imprinted denture. MRSA and VRE are superbugs known to cause infections in hospitals and intensive care units.
The company plans to conduct clinical studies to determine whether the presence of silver sodium zirconium phosphate results in improved results.
According to the American College of Prosthodontists, approximately 36 million adults in the United States suffer from periodontitis, and 120 million are missing at least one tooth. About 90% of this population uses dentures to replace teeth and restore function. This number is expected to increase due to the aging of the baby boomer population.
To learn more about Simply Natural Digital Dentures or Glidewell Antimicrobial 3DP Denture Base Resin, visit glidewell.com.
REFERRALS
- Gendreau, Linda, and Zvi G. Loewy. “Epidemiology and etiology of denture stomatitis”. Journal of Prosthodontics: Implant, Esthetic and Reconstructive Dentistry 20.4 (2011): 251-260. Epidemiology and Etiology of Denture Stomatitis – Gendreau – 2011 – Journal of Prosthodontics – Wiley Online Library.
- “Facts and Numbers”. American College of Prosthodontics, Oct. 2024. https://www.gotoapro.org/facts-figures/
- Ibid.
