ENHANCEMENT OF ANTIFUNGAL EFFECT ON DENTURE BASE RESIN THROUGH MICROCAPSULES DRUG DELIVERY TECHNOLOGY USING TEA TREE OIL AND ITS CHARACTERISATION The introduction of organic materials into polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) resin has been implemented to reinforce the antimicrobial properties in oral denture bases. A new drug delivery technique using polylactic acid (PLA) microcapsules infuses with organic ingredients such as tea tree oil (TTO). When incorporated into PMMA resin, these microcapsules will provide an effective antifungal effect on the denture surface. The objective is to investigate the antifungal interaction of PLA/TTO microcapsules in polymerised PMMA denture base resin against Candida albicans. An advanced encapsulation technique was performed to synthesise PLA microcapsules containing TTO. The TTO/PLA microcapsules were characterised using Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), Fourier-transform Infrared (FTIR), Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Three different concentrations of prepared microcapsules (TTO: PLA (% w/w)), 10%, 50% and 100% were incorporated into polymerised PMMA denture resin. The tested materials were subsequently evaluated for antifungal activity for several weeks at intervals of 7, 14 and 30 days using the well diffusion test. Further observation through SEM was included to assess the attachment of oral microorganisms to the surface of the modified denture base. From the spectroscopic analysis, the microcapsules were successfully synthesised using a new drug delivery encapsulation method. The antifungal activity of polymerised PMMA denture incorporated with TTO/PLA microcapsules demonstrated a significant effect (p<0.05) against C. albicans, where the inhibition area increased as the concentration increased. The study demonstrated that organic TTO can be encapsulated with PLA, potentially serving as a drug delivery vehicle for controlling drug release. Incorporating TTO/PLA microcapsules into PMMA denture base can significantly enhance the antifungal effect on the denture surface, offering potential usefulness for denture users in the future.