Steradent -v- Pollident -v- Nitradine…And The Winner Is?
Here at PremPlus we always recommend Nitradine for cleaning removeable dental appliances, but some patient’s ask, is Nitradine really any better than cheaper brands like Steradent?
The answer in our opinion is a definite yes! We do not think it is worth taking the risk of using a cheaper product when its your health that could be at stake. This is because research has consistently shown Nitradine to be a highly effective disinfectant for dental appliances. Specifically Nitradine is made using a patented formula, it is chemically different from other brands, so this is not like substituting a named brand of medicine for a pharmacologically identical generic version. When you buy Nitradine you are buying a different product to other dental cleaning tablets.
Clinical Studies Support The Superior Benefits of Nitradine Over Other Dental Cleaning Tablets
For example there is a study reported in the Journal of Applied Microbiology.
The researchers grew a variety of pathogens on laboratory specimen discs (modified Robbins devices or MRC made from a variety of materials) in order to mimic the formation of the biofilm which develops naturally on dental appliances when worn in the mouth.
Each cleaning agent was individually tested against a variety of pathogens commonly found in the “oral cavity”, including:
- Candida albicans– a very common yeast / fungus which can cause oral thrush, being yellow or white patches on the inside of your cheeks, on your tongue, around your tonsils, on your gums, and on your lips which may result in soreness, visible redness, inflammation or burning in your mouth. Yeast infection in the corners of the mouth may additionally result in a condition known as angular cheilitis – a frequent cause of social embarrassment and which can be difficult to treat. Candida fungus has become resistant to many of the commonly available anti-fungals. Therefore avoiding such infections is highly desirable.
- Staphylococcus aureus– a common bacteria which is increasingly resistant to antibiotics. It can cause similar symptoms to Candida (redness / swelling, painful or burning sensations and angular cheilitis), but it can also result in more serious problems like dental abscesses and in a worst case scenario, if it enters the blood stream, angina, bacteremia, and even septic shock (a cause of death or serious injury if untreated).
- Streptococcus mutan, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and MRSA. Again, these pathogens are potentially very harmful to human health. P Aeruginosa for example presents a risk of invasive infection into surrounding tissues.
Following the cleaning of the different discs with each solution done carefully in accordance with each product’s instructions, the researchers’ findings were that:
- A 15 minute treatment of Candida biofilms with Nitradine caused substantial reductions (>99.9%) in the “culturable candida cells present”. An outstanding result.
- Similar very high reductions were found with MRSA, (>99.8%).
- Again, very high reductions were seen with P. aeruginosa (>99.8%)
- Significant reductions occurred with St. mutans ranging from (up to 99.86% depending on the disc material used to grow the biofilm).
- “The biofilms formed were much less sensitive to all the other denture cleansers tested, with no reductions in the culturable Candida cells observed for Steradent, and for Polident (0·88 log units, 86·82%) and Efferdent Plus (0·19 log units, 35·44%)“
The other interesting findings included:
Temperature
Nitradine was most effective if the temperature of the water was between 33 degrees C and 45 degrees C, somewhat on the hotter side of the manufacturers’ advice which is to use “luke warm water” (luke warm is generally taken to mean a temperature of between 20-40 degrees C).
Immersion Time
Nitradine has its greatest anti-fungal and anti-bacterial effect between the 5th minute after immersion of the appliance in the Nitradine disinfectant and the 20th minute after immersion, albeit there is some tailing off after the 15th minute. Accordingly it is very important NOT to do just a quick dip of the appliance in the water, but to keep it fully immersed for at least the manufacturer’s recommended 15 minutes. NB For anti-viral purposes the manufacturer recommends immersion in water for > 1 hour (the manufacturer advises Nitradine has anti-viral effectiveness for example against the very common oral herpes virus (herpes simplex).
Amount of Water
The manufacturer recommends diluting each tablet in 150ml of water; the researchers found that using a little more water than 150ml did not make too much difference but if more than 450ml of water was used, there was a noticeable reduction in disinfection. As such, patients should keep as close as possible to the recommended 150ml of water per tablet.
Other Research That Backs Up Use of Nitradine
The Coenye et al study is not the only piece of research that supports the effectiveness of Nitradine, other studies have replicated the finding that Nitradine is an effective disinfectant, for example a 2010 study reported in the Journal of Applied Oral Science confirmed its effectiveness
A 2011 randomized double-blind study involving 70 children who were using removeable appliances, concluded : NitrAdine tablets are effective in reducing plaque accumulation and appliance odor during maxillary removable appliance treatment. Further in vivo studies are required to determine the efficacy and exact protocol for NitrAdine tablets in appliance disinfection
In conclusion, at least in respect of dental disinfectant tablets, it is a case of: you get what you pay for. This is why PremPlus sells only Nitradine for the optimum protection of patients.
Importance of Cleaning Dental Appliances
Thorough cleaning of your dental appliance is very important to minimise the risk of biofilm forming on its surfaces, which can pose a significant hazard to health, with a risk of infection and specifically Denture stomatitis.
Denture stomatitis is inflammation of the gum tissue that is covered by dentures.
Although the research is not entirely conclusive, there is also now a growing body evidence that points to denture stomatitis and other persistent infections in the mouth, being a cause of systemic inflammation which may in turn increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, other heart problems and diabetes
© PremPlus April 2020. All rights reserved.
Recent Comments