Abstract
Denture stomatitis (DS) is an inflammatory status of oral mucosae frequently observed in denture wearers, and mainly associated with oral overgrowth of Candida albicans. DS is the cause of multiple visits to the dental office and is thought to enhance the risk of systemic infections. The treatment of DS mainly relies upon improvement of oral hygiene measures and prescription of topical or systemic antifungal agents, and disinfectants that, although effective, are not without drawbacks. Since, in recent years, some probiotics were investigated as a means to contrast oral colonization by Candida spp., this study was designed to preliminarily evaluate the effects of probiotic strain Streptococcus salivarius K12, in subjects affected by DS, and the duration of these effects. Fifty adult denture wearers affected by DS were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group was instructed to perform careful oral and denture hygiene and to assume the probiotic preparation for 30 days; the control group received only oral hygiene instructions. Patients were evaluated for signs of DS at the beginning of the study, at the end of treatment and 30 days later. Microbiological samples were obtained at the beginning of the study and at the end of treatment to quantify Candida albicans cells. Experimental treatment reduced clinical signs and symptoms of DS and the count of C. albicans. The clinical effects of experimental treatment were still evident after 30 days, suggesting that administration of probiotic strain Streptococcus salivarius K12 could be a promising approach in the treatment of DS.
Highlights
Life expectancy significantly increased in industrialized countries in the last century, while natality progressively reduced [1]; the proportion of elderly subjects significantly increased, with evident healthcare issues in all fields of medicine, including dentistry [2,3]
At T0 the experimental group (EXP) and CTR groups were comparable with respect to clinical parameters, and C. albicans counts
denture stomatitis (DS) is a multifactorial inflammatory disease of the oral mucosal areas covered by the denture, in which an overgrowth of C. albicans and other opportunistic fungal species normally found in the oral biofilm, is believed to play a key etiologic role [5,6,26]
Summary
Life expectancy significantly increased in industrialized countries in the last century, while natality progressively reduced [1]; the proportion of elderly subjects significantly increased, with evident healthcare issues in all fields of medicine, including dentistry [2,3]. An inflammatory status of the oral mucosal areas covered by the denture is frequently observed in denture wearers. This inflammatory condition is commonly known as denture stomatitis (DS). The prevalence of DS was reported to range from 15% to over 70%, depending on variables including: continuous use of the denture, quality of oral and denture hygiene (frequently limited by dexterity of the subject), adequateness of the denture, and co-morbidities such as diabetes [5].
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