Assessing the Porosity of Denture Base Acrylic Resin Loaded With Fluconazole.

Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of adding fluconazole pure (FLUp) 10% and fluconazole from capsules (FLUcap) 25% on the porosity of the heat-cured acrylic resin. Methods: This study included 30 disc-shaped acrylic samples with a diameter of 30 mm and a thickness of 3 mm. Three subgroups: 10 pieces representing the control group without adding fluconazole, 10 pieces representing acrylic resin modified with FLUp 10%, 10 pieces representing acrylic resin modified with FLUcap 25%. The porosity was analyzed using the gravimetric method based on Archimedes' principle, by weighing the sample in the air and in the water to calculate both the dry and wet sample volumes. The measurement was done in two-time stages: T1 before immersion of the samples in distilled water, and T2 after immersion in distilled water for 28 days at a temperature of (37 ± 2)°C. Results: The Mann-Whitney test revealed no significant differences in porosity averages among the three studied groups in both time stages T1 and T2 (p > 0.05). The Wilcoxon test showed that porosity in the FLUp group remained statistically unchanged between T1 and T2 (p > 0.05). In contrast, the FLUcap group exhibited a significant differences in porosity between T1 and T2 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The addition of both FLUp and FLUcap did not affect the porosity of the heat-cured acrylic resin. Clinical Significance: This study will contribute to the field of antimicrobial dental materials, whereas fluconazole-modified acrylic resin may be considered a promising treatment for denture-induced stomatitis and this study is considered the foundation of future clinical research.