Candida albicans colonization on different polymeric denture base materials in controlled type II diabetic patients

Abstract

Background/aim Growth of the immunosuppressed population has provoked increased incidence of oral candidiasis infections. This study was conducted to evaluate colonization of Candida albicans upon the fitting surfaces of three different polymeric denture base materials in patients with controlled type II diabetes mellitus. The investigated resin denture base materials were the conventional heat-cured methacrylate and two types of commercially available flexible denture base materials. Materials and methods A total of 30 completely edentulous patients with controlled type II diabetes mellitus were included in the study, and they were divided into three equal groups (10 each), where group I patients received upper and lower complete dentures fabricated from conventional heat-cured acrylic resin, group II patients received a flexible versacryl upper complete denture and a lower heat-cured acrylic resin denture, and group III patients received a thermoplastic nylon upper complete denture and a heat-cured acrylic resin lower denture. Samples of C. albicans culture swabs were taken after 1 month and after 3 months of dentures insertion. Culture swab was obtained by scrubbing the fitting surface of all upper dentures at tuberosity area. At each time interval, three swab samples were collected from each patient and were inoculated in three individual culture media. Results of the study were statistically analyzed to evaluate the fungal colonization in each of the three investigated groups. Results The present results indicated that mean number of C. albicans colonies upon heat-cure acrylic resin denture base material at 1 month was 45±6.86, whereas at 3 months, it was 97±12.02. The mean number of fungal colonies for versacryl denture base material after 1 month was 12.80±4.80, and at 3 months, it was 22.50±6.16. The mean number of C. albicans colonies for nylon-based denture base at 1 month was 7.00±2.30, and at 3 months, it was 13.50±3.02. Conclusion Within the limitation of the study, flexible polymeric denture base materials showed lesser Candida adherence upon upper denture fitting surface than that of conventional heat-cured acrylic resin. In addition, nylon-based denture showed less colonization to Candida than versacryl denture material. Flexible dentures seem to be promising owing to their minimum microbial colonization and relatively healthier biological tissue reactions in comparison with the heat-cured acrylic resin.