Pengaruh Perendaman Basis Gigi Tiruan Nilon Termoplastik dalam Ekstrak Lidah Buaya (Aloe vera) dan Alkalin Peroksida terhadap Kekasaran Permukaan

Abstract

Thermoplastic nylon is a denture base material that is currently highly favored because it has various advantages, namely flexibility, resembling oral tissue, and resistance to high temperatures. However, thermoplastic nylon also has a weakness, which is its tendency to absorb water, causing roughness on the denture base surface. The rough surface on the denture base makes it easier for plaque and microorganisms to adhere, leading to infections in the oral cavity. It is important to clean dentures to prevent such infections. A commonly used cleaning agent for thermoplastic nylon dentures is alkaline peroxide (Polident), but it tends to be expensive and has side effects that affect the properties of the denture base. Therefore, natural denture cleaning agents are needed as alternatives, one of which is using aloe vera extract. Aloe vera extract is an herbal plant that contains antifungal properties, making it suitable as a denture cleaning agent.This research aims to determine the effect of soaking thermoplastic nylon denture bases in 75% aloe vera extract and alkaline peroxide for 92 hours, assuming 1 year of use. The research design is a laboratory experiment. The research samples are cylindrical thermoplastic nylon with a diameter of 20 ± 1 mm and a thickness of 2 ± 0.1 mm. There are 36 samples divided into 2 treatment groups, each with 18 samples. The samples are soaked in 75% aloe vera extract and alkaline peroxide (control) for 92 hours to simulate 15 minutes of daily use for 1 year. The samples are then tested and analyzed using an unpaired t-test to determine the effect of soaking thermoplastic nylon denture bases in aloe vera extract and alkaline peroxide on surface roughness. The test results show no significant effect of soaking thermoplastic nylon denture bases in aloe vera extract and alkaline peroxide for 92 hours (1 year) on surface roughness, although it is still within tolerable limits with p=0.131 (p>0.05). However, based on the data, the surface roughness of the aloe vera extract immersion is lower than that of alkaline peroxide. The research concludes that 75% aloe vera extract can be used as an alternative cleaning agent for thermoplastic nylon dentures.