Abstract
BackgroundCandida’s potential association with dental caries has previously been reported in children. This research aimed at investigating the associations between Candida species in whole saliva and dental and periodontal health indices in a sample of adult patients.MethodsA cross-sectional study involving 160 patients investigated the associations between Candida species collected by oral rinse technique, and Decayed, Missing, and Filled Surfaces (DMFS), and periodontal health indices. Chi-square and Independent Samples t-test were used to assess the associations between Candida carriage and confounding variables. Binary logistic regression was used to assess association strengths between Candida carriage and DMFS, adjusted for socio-demographic variables, diabetes mellitus and plaque index.ResultsCandida colonies were identified in 49 (30.6%) patients with CFUs ranging from 103 to 105 colonies per mL. The quantity of Candida CFUs increased with age (r = 0.200; p < 0.05). Among all dental and periodontal health indices, only DMFS was significantly associated with higher values of Candida carriage (p = 0.034), and this association was independent from sex, age, smoking, diabetes mellitus and plaque index (OR: 1.014; 95% CI 1.0–1.03; p = 0.048).ConclusionThe association between Candida species in whole saliva and DMFS reported here supports an etiological role of Candida in dental cariogenesis among adults.
Highlights
Candida’s potential association with dental caries has previously been reported in children
The prevalence of oral Candida carriage is highest in infants and elderly [3], and ranges from 2.0 to 71.3% in adults and from 40.6 to 54.2% in infants [4]
Those include the presence of topographical variations in the mouth as inhabitant sites for the fungus, reduction in salivary flowrate [5], poor glycemic control in diabetic patients [6] and suppression of the immune system caused by HIV infection, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy [7]
Summary
Candida’s potential association with dental caries has previously been reported in children. The wide prevalence range of Candida carriage in adults has been attributed to a plethora of -often overlapping- local and systemic factors Those include the presence of topographical variations in the mouth as inhabitant sites for the fungus (i.e. denture base), reduction in salivary flowrate [5], poor glycemic control in diabetic patients [6] and suppression of the immune system caused by HIV infection, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy [7]. Candida’s role in causing and perpetuating dental caries has been the subject of recent debate with studies suggesting an association [8, 9] and others refuting it [10, 11] In their meta-analysis, Xiao et al found that children with C. albicans have more than five times higher odds
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