Aims:

To evaluate the effect of surface coating with natural plant oils (Salvia officinalis, ginger and eucalyptus) on Candida growth and the hardness of Vertex denture lining material.

Materials and method:

Forty five specimens were prepared from soft acrylic lining material, twenty five of which were 10x10x2mm in size for testing antifungal activity, and twenty samples were 20mm in diameter and 12mm in thickness, for testing shore A hardness after coating samples with three types of natural oils (Salvia officinalis, ginger and eucalyptus oils). Significant differences among the groups at (p≤0.05) level of significance were determined statistically with one way analysis of variance and Duncan's multiple range test Result: Antifungal assay showed a significant difference between five groups regarding Candida albicans growth (p≤ 0.05). For the hardness test, comparing different times of storage in water (1, 7, 14, 30 days) revealed a significant difference within all groups (p≤0. 05). While comparing the groups coated with natural oils with the control group, significant differences were found between different times of storage in water (1, 7, 30 day) (p≤0.05), except at 14 days of water storage there was no significant difference between groups (p>0.05).

Conclusion:

All tested natural oils were effective as fungicidal agents and increased the softness and duration of soft acrylic lining material.