Buffalo Tripoli · 1/4 lb

Denture polish is the abrasives and compounds, such as pumice, that smooth and shine the acrylic of a removable prosthesis on the laboratory lathe. A polishing agent is any material used to give a surface its luster. Pumice, a type of volcanic glass, is used as the abrasive. Removable prostheses are mostly polished in the laboratory on a lathe.

Polishing is the act of making a denture or casting smooth and glossy. A well contoured and polished surface resists the build-up of food debris and bacteria. Studies put the clinically acceptable roughness of hard surfaces in the mouth after polishing at no more than 0.2 micrometres.

An OTC denture cleanser is a powder, tablet or paste that removes debris from removable appliances such as bridges or dentures; the FDA lists it as a Class I device (21 CFR 872.3520).

Sources: The Glossary of Prosthodontic Terms, 9th edition (J Prosthet Dent 2017) · Rao et al. 2015, Surface roughness of three heat-cured acrylic denture base resins with different conventional lathe polishing techniques (PMC4762348) · FDA 21 CFR 872.3520, OTC denture cleanser · FDA 21 CFR 872.3530, Mechanical denture cleaner