Clinical study of risk factors for adherence of Candida to dentures

Abstract

We aimed to identify the time of adherence, predicting factors, and species of Candida adhering to the mucosal surface of new maxillary dentures fabricated and placed in our department. Three types of oral samples from 32 patients were collected at the time of new denture placement (baseline) and at five follow-up visits (1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months). Candida adherence, indicated by a positive culture originating from the mucosal surface of the denture base (MSDB) at any time during follow-up, was tested for its associations with several putative predictors. The protocols of a second, additional study were identical to the initial study except that, at each visit, all 22 participants received an educational intervention regarding denture cleaning and maintenance. Of the 14 patients with extensive oral Candida colonization at baseline, 11 already had Candida -positive MSDB swabs at the 1-month follow-up. Candida carriage, xerostomia, and denture cleaning habits were associated with MSDB Candida colonization. In the additional study, when subjects consistently cleaned and maintained their dentures, Candida was detected at a lower rate on the MSDB at follow-up visits after 6 months than that observed in the initial study (18% [4/22] vs. 56% [18/32], p < 0.05). Candida carriage at the time of new denture placement is strongly predictive of subsequent adherence to the MSDB. Regardless of the oral Candida carriage state, patients can limit this colonization by consistently following good cleaning and maintenance habits, starting from the time of new denture placement.