Potential biological hazards of commercially available cleansers for dentures.

Thirteen representative denture cleansers were selected from among more than 32 retail products to be tested for potential hazard and toxicity to humans. Products were subjected to toxicological analyses by using the biological tests (acute oral toxicity in rats, eye and skin irritation in rabbits) specified in the Federal Hazardous Substances Act Regulations. All products were eye irritants with ranges from slight to severe. Three produced a primary skin irritation response (one was corrosive), while five of the denture cleansers produced oral LD50 values below 5 g/kg. Furthermore, a provisional upper gastrointestinal irritancy test used in rabbits indicated that eight of the denture cleansers produced upper gastrointestinal irritation, which was, in general, dose-related.