Avaliação do efeito do gel à base de Cymbopogon citratus sobre a dureza de corpos de prova de resina acrílica submetidos a ensaio de escovação de 5 anos

Abstract

The removal of biofilm from dental prostheses is essential for promoting the oral health of users. However, commercial cleansers available on the market do not efficiently sanitize the prosthetic surface without altering its structural properties. This challenge makes plants of the Cymbopogon genus potential alternatives for prosthesis hygiene, as they exhibit antifungal and antibacterial properties. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 1% Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass)-based cleansing gel on the microhardness variation of acrylic resin trial bases through a simulated brushing test over five years. For this purpose, thirty heat-polymerized acrylic resin specimens were randomly distributed into three groups (n = 10/group) according to the tested solution: distilled water (DW) as a negative control group, commercial toothpaste Even® (CT) as a positive control group, and a 1% C. citratus-based gel (CG) as the test group. Analyses were performed before and after 12 (T1), 36 (T2), and 60 (T3) simulated months of brushing. The data were expressed as mean and standard deviation, subjected to the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, and compared between groups using ANOVA/Bonferroni tests and between time points using repeated-measures ANOVA/Bonferroni or paired t-tests (parametric data). All analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism 5.0, with a confidence level of 95%. The results showed that the tested gel did not significantly alter microhardness, as the CG group did not present statistically significant differences between time points, whereas the other groups did. Therefore, the findings suggest that the experimental 1% Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass)-based gel does not adversely affect the microhardness of acrylic resin trial bases.