Effect of Tea Tree Oil Addition to Denture Liners Against Candida albicans and Bond Strength to Acrylic Denture Bases.

The article investigates the effects of incorporating tea tree oil (TTO), derived from Melaleuca alternifolia, into various denture liners on Candida albicans growth and the bond strength of liners to acrylic denture bases. Using silicone-based resilient liners (Tokuyama, Molloplast B) and acrylic-based liners (GC Reline, Visco-gel) with TTO concentrations of 0%, 2%, 5%, and 8%, the study found that increasing TTO levels significantly reduced C. albicans colony counts and optical density, demonstrating antifungal activity. However, higher TTO concentrations also decreased the tensile bond strength between liners and denture bases, with 8% TTO notably weakening the bond in some materials, particularly Molloplast B. The authors conclude that while TTO can help control Candida-associated denture stomatitis, its concentration should be carefully balanced to maintain adequate bond strength, recommending less than 8% TTO especially for heat-polymerized silicone liners.