Prevalence of Candida albicans in patients using fixed orthodontic appliances after the use of peppermint

Ghada Abdul–Rahman,Alaa Al–Dawoody,Zaid Al–Dewachi

doi:10.33899/rden.2005.45520

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the antifungal effect of peppermint extract as mouth rinse during orthodontic treatment. Thirty patients (11 males and 19 females) who wear orthodontic appliances and instructed to use chlorhexidine as mouth rinse (8 patients); Mentha piperita extract (10 patients) or left to care of their teeth without any mouth rinse (12 patients); mean number of Candida albicans colonies recovered from anterior surface at three intervals (Time 0: Before wearing the appliance; time 1: After 7 days and time 2: After 1 month) was 48.8, 144.3, 158.9 for the control group; 132.9, 125.4, 147.9 for the peppermint group and 72, 105.8 and 130.8 for the chlorhexidine group. The mean number of Candida albicans colonies from the posterior surface at the different intervals was 87.4, 136.8, 159.5; 121.3, 84, 34.6 and 78.5, 91.25, 91 for control, peppermint and chlorhexidine groups respectively. The use of the peppermint extract decreases the number of Candida albicans significantly at the posterior surfaces

Highlights

The chronic atrophic candidosis or the denture induced stomatitis is the commonest form of oral candidosis and is present in 24–60% of denture wearers; it may associated with orthodontic appliances and obturators.[2]
Which may lead to plaque formation, gingivitis, thrush and acute atrophic candidiasis and the patients undergoing orthodontic treatment advised to careful brushing and using any type of mouth rinsers; e.g., chlorhexidine, phenol, thymol in alcohol (PTA) etc
The aim of this study is the evaluation of the watery extract of peppermint as mouth rinse during the orthodontic work to reduce the prevalence of Candida albicans in the oral cavity

Summary

Introduction

The oral candidal infections of clinical significance include acute pseudomembranous candidosis (thrush), acute atrophic candidosis (antibiotic sore tongue), and angular cheilitis (perleche).(1)The chronic atrophic candidosis or the denture induced stomatitis is the commonest form of oral candidosis and is present in 24–60% of denture wearers; it may associated with orthodontic appliances and obturators.[2]Both the prevalence of candidal carriage in the population and the distribution of Candida within the mouth of a carrier appeared dependent on both local and general factors, in particular smoking habits, the wearing of prostheses, drugs and sex.[3,4]The increase in number of Candida species after wearing the orthodontic appliance could be explained that the lowest surface tension values of polycarbonate and ceramic alumina materials used in adhesion of appliances increase the potential for microorganisms attachment on metallic brackets.[5, 6]The presence of the fixed orthodontic appliances in the oral cavity cause an increase in the number of microorganisms, Abdul–Rahman GhY, Al–Dewachi ZB, Al–Dawoody AD which may lead to plaque formation, gingivitis, thrush and acute atrophic candidiasis and the patients undergoing orthodontic treatment advised to careful brushing and using any type of mouth rinsers; e.g., chlorhexidine, phenol, thymol in alcohol (PTA) etc...Large and increasing number of patients use medicinal herbs or seek the advice of their physician regarding their use, and most research on medicinal herbs is conducted in areas of the world where the use of medicinal herbs is main stream, in Asia and Europe.[7]Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is one of the aromatic plants found in Iraqi environment, containing high amount of volatile oils, menthol and gullotannic acid;(8) it had reported that these oils have an inhibitor effect on the growth of bacteria and yeast.[9]. The chronic atrophic candidosis or the denture induced stomatitis is the commonest form of oral candidosis and is present in 24–60% of denture wearers; it may associated with orthodontic appliances and obturators.[2]. Both the prevalence of candidal carriage in the population and the distribution of Candida within the mouth of a carrier appeared dependent on both local and general factors, in particular smoking habits, the wearing of prostheses, drugs and sex.[3,4]. For most orthodontic patients these agents may be necessary for only short term periods to demonstrate how having the proper oral hygiene facts, and this would provide an intensive care for the patient to redirect their methods of oral hygiene.[13, 14]

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