Candida albicans in patients with oronasal communication and obturator prostheses

Abstract

Patients using obturator prostheses often present denture-induced stomatitis. In order to detect the presence of oral Candida albicans in patients with oronasal communications and to evaluate the effectiveness of a topical antifungal treatment, cytological smears obtained from the buccal and palatal mucosa of 10 adult patients, and from the nasal acrylic surface of their obturator prostheses were examined. A therapeutic protocol comprising the use of oral nystatin (Mycostatin®) and prosthesis disinfection with sodium hypochlorite was prescribed for all patients. Seven patients were positive for C. albicans in the mucosa, with 1 negative result for the prosthetic surface in this group of patients. Post-treatment evaluation revealed the absence of C. albicans on prosthesis surface and on the oral mucosa of all patients. The severity of the candidal infection was significantly higher in the palatal mucosa than in the buccal mucosa, but similar in the palatal mucosa and prosthesis surface, indicating that the mucosa underlying the prosthesis is more susceptible to infection. The therapeutic protocol was effective in all cases, which emphasizes the need for denture disinfection in order to avoid reinfection of the mucosa.

Dry mouth and denture plaque microflora in complete denture and palatal obturator prosthesis wearers

“…However, pouring specific culture media into a denture or impression allows for examination of only particular microorganisms, such as Candida spp. Therefore, examination of microbial flora is performed using a swab or spatula. In terms of the sampling area, Kashiwabara et al .…”

Candida Biofilms on Oral Biomaterials

“…In vitro, Candida albicans may also adhere to pieces of biodegradable membranes used for periodontal tissue regeneration (Molgatini et al, 1998) and to tissue-conditioning materials for denture relining (Kulak & Kazazoglu, 1998). Additionally, presence of Candida albicans has been documented on obturator prostheses (whatever the material may be: silicone, polymethyl methacrylate, or titanium) in patients with maxillary defects (suffering from congenital malformation, tumors, or trauma), and on the mucosa adjacent to the prosthesis (Depprich et al, 2008;Mattos et al, 2009); these patients can present prosthesis-induced stomatitis. Finally, the use of orthodontic appliances leads to an increased carriage rate during the appliance-wearing time, with a significant fall of salivary pH and an increase of Candida count observed at different oral sites through various sampling techniques (Hibino et al, 2009).…”

Improving practice guidelines for the treatment of denture-related erythematous stomatitis: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

“…A higher prevalence of DES is seen in older people, due to long-term denture use, lack of dexterity in performing oral hygiene, polymedication, and decreased host immunity [23, 24]. However, children and adults wearing acrylic partial dentures, obturator prostheses, and ortho-appliances can also be affected by DES [25–27]. …”