Prosthetic stomatitis and etiology of formation

Abstract

Denture stomatitis is a common inflammation of the mucous membrane covered by the denture, which is caused by yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida. Candida albicans is considered the most common cause of denture stomatitis. It occurs under removable dentures due to several causative and contributing factors. If left untreated, this disease can lead to fatal systemic candidal infections. Denture-associated candidal stomatitis, clinically described in the literature, is a localized or generalized inflammation of the oral mucosa in association with a removable denture. During this inflammatory process, Candida biofilms and the patient’s immune response play a significant role. Among the microorganisms in this mixed biofilm, Candida species easily multiply and transform from a saprophyte into an opportunistic pathogen. In this situation, the presence of a prosthesis plays an important role. In particular, Candida albicans is capable of interfering with the body’s innate immune system to cause infection. Additionally, edentulous older adults wearing dentures may experience an imbalance and decreased diversity of the oral microflora. The present narrative review focuses on the presentation of denture stomatitis in patients who wear dentures and, in particular, on the involvement of Candida albicans sp. associated with this pathology.