In vitro testing of a denture cleaning method using ozone.
The purpose of this study was to compare the microbicidal effect of gaseous ozone with that of ozonated water in order to determine its usefulness as a method for disinfecting dentures. Although a large number of research studies have been done on the bactericidal effect of ozone, little is known about its microbicidal effects on oral microorganisms. Therefore, we tested the effect of ozone on three standard strains of oral microorganisms: Streptococcus mutans (strain IID 973), Staphylococcus aureus (strain 209-P), and Candida albicans (strain LAM 14322). When the gaseous ozone injection method was used, the numbers of cells of all three strains decreased to 1/10(5) at 1 min, and by 3 min they were below the detection limit. Thus, the microbicidal effect of gaseous ozone was ascertained in a short time. In contrast, when ozonated water at 1 ppm and 3 ppm was used, C. albicans decreased to 1/10. A 700 mg/h ozone production level was needed to prepare 1 ppm ozonated water, whereas 20 mg/h of ozone was required by the gaseous ozone generator. These findings indicate that direct exposure to gaseous ozone seems to be a more effective microbicide compared with ozonated water, and that gaseous ozone can be clinically useful for disinfection of dentures.