ORAL CANDIDA CARRIAGE INCLUDING SPECIATION, BIOFILM PRODUCTION AND CORRELATION WITH OCCURRENCE OF DENTAL CARIES IN STUDENT POPULATION

Abstract

The study was done to establish oral carriage of Candida, speciation, assay biofilm production and correlate the oral Candida carriage with occurrence of dental caries in students. Swab samples from oral cavity were collected from 206 students and were cultured for yeasts. Isolated yeasts were identified and detected for Biofilm production. Results: Overall Candida carriage was found in 90 of the 206 students (75 with caries). The rate of Candida carriage in students with caries (64%) was significantly higher as compared to overall carriage in students (43.7%). A total of 123 Candida strains were isolated including C albicans (63%), C tropicalis (23 %), C. parapsilosis (6 %), C. glabrata (4 %) and C. krusei (4 %). Biofilm production by C albicans was less frequent (42. 85%) than that by non-C albicans (63.33 %). and was significantly higher in students with caries than from without caries. Conclusion: We found a significant risk of dental caries with oral Candida carriage rates in student population. Candida albicans was the most common species isolated. Biofilm production was implicated in Candida virulence and was more important for non- C.albicans than C.albicans strains to establish infections.