Dr. Gaurav Puri on Denture Materials: Key Takeaways

• Most dentures are made from PMMA acrylic, whose surface is easy for Candida yeast to colonize, causing recurrent denture stomatitis.
• Denture yeast is hard to clear because it forms a treatment-resistant biofilm on the denture’s fitting surface.
• Dr. Gaurav Puri’s 2008 study found denture acrylic can be modified to resist yeast without losing strength or durability.
• This guide is authored by Dr. Gaurav Puri, a prosthodontist, co-founder of Altius Dental, and lead author of research in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry.
• Smile Experts is a 4.7-star dental office in Port Lavaca, TX, led by Dr. Martha Salazar.

Who Is Dr. Gaurav Puri?

Dr. Gaurav Puri is a prosthodontist and co-founder of Altius Dental, and a co-founder of Smile Savers Dental Solutions, a Texas practice focused on expanding access to advanced implant and full-mouth dental care. His clinical specialty is the restoration and replacement of teeth, including dental implants, full-mouth reconstruction, and dentures.

What sets Dr. Gaurav Puri apart is that his expertise is grounded in research as well as clinical practice. He completed a three-year prosthodontics residency focused on complex restorative and implant dentistry, and he is the lead author of a peer-reviewed study on denture base materials published in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry in 2008. That study is the subject of this article, and it reflects a career-long interest in making dental materials better — expertise that informs the care standards across Altius Dental practices like Smile Experts.

The Problem Dr. Gaurav Puri Set Out to Solve

Most dentures are built from an acrylic called polymethyl methacrylate, or PMMA. It is strong, lightweight, easy to shade like natural gum tissue, and repairable — which is why it has been the standard denture material for decades. But it has one well-known weakness.

Its surface is relatively easy for microbes — especially the yeast Candida albicans — to cling to and colonize. That colonization drives denture stomatitis, a chronic inflammation of the tissue beneath a denture that is common, uncomfortable, and stubbornly recurrent.

The reason denture yeast is so hard to defeat comes down to how it lives. When Candida floats freely, antifungal medicine clears it easily. But once yeast settles on a surface and organizes into a structured community called a biofilm, it becomes dramatically more resistant to treatment. On a denture, the fitting surface that rests against the gum is an ideal home for that biofilm — warm, sheltered, and rarely cleaned thoroughly. This is the cycle Dr. Gaurav Puri’s research set out to interrupt.

Concerned about a recurring denture problem? Book online or call (361) 470-5519. Smile Experts welcomes new patients.

Dr. Gaurav Puri’s Research: Changing the Surface, Not Just the Medicine

Rather than asking how to kill yeast after it takes hold, Dr. Gaurav Puri’s research asked a more fundamental question: could the denture material be redesigned so yeast has a harder time colonizing it at all? As lead author of the 2008 study “Effect of phosphate group addition on the properties of denture base resins,” he and his co-authors modified standard denture acrylic with a phosphate-containing ingredient to make the surface less welcoming to yeast. Critically, the study tested whether this change weakened the denture by measuring:

• Impact strength — resistance to fracturing if a denture is dropped
• Fracture toughness — resistance to cracks spreading over time
• Bonding ability — whether the acrylic still holds firmly to the artificial teeth
• Wettability — the surface change linked to reduced yeast adherence

The finding was reassuring. Across impact strength, fracture toughness, and the bond to the teeth, the phosphate-modified acrylic performed comparably to the standard control material. In other words, the surface could be changed without giving up the strength a denture depends on — while becoming measurably more hydrophilic, the very property linked to reduced yeast adherence.

What Dr. Gaurav Puri’s Study Means for You

Dr. Gaurav Puri’s study was honest about its limits: it established a proof of concept, not a finished product, and the authors noted that further testing would be needed before such a material reached patients. That candor about uncertainty is a hallmark of rigorous science — and the same straightforwardness he brings to patient care.

The practical lesson is immediately usable. Because infection lives in the biofilm on the denture surface, controlling denture stomatitis depends on disrupting that biofilm — not only medicating the mouth. Clean the denture thoroughly every day including the fitting surface, follow your dentist’s guidance on nightly removal, keep the fit correct so gaps do not become breeding grounds, and see your dentist about persistent redness or soreness. Until yeast-resistant materials become reality, disciplined care and a well-fitting denture remain your strongest tools.

Meet Your Port Lavaca Dentist, Dr. Martha Salazar

Everyday care at Smile Experts is provided by Dr. Martha Salazar, a proud graduate of New York University College of Dentistry, Class of 2002. Originally from Colombia, she completed five years of dental school before moving to the United States, which she now proudly calls home. Dr. Salazar is passionate about helping patients achieve their dental goals and takes the time to explain every treatment option clearly.

At Smile Experts, patients find a welcoming environment and comprehensive care tailored to each person’s needs, reflected in the practice’s 4.7-star rating from 380 Google reviews. This article is authored by prosthodontist Dr. Gaurav Puri, co-founder of Altius Dental, the group behind Smile Experts, whose published research on denture materials informs the practice’s standard of care.

“Dr. Salazar took the time to explain all of my options and made me feel completely comfortable. The whole team is warm and welcoming.” — Verified Google review

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