ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking in conjugation with bad oral hygiene is considered a typical predisposing factor for many oral diseases including denture stomatitis. This study investigated the effect of Rose Bengal (RB)-and Curcumin (CUR)-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) in comparison with nystatin therapy in the intervention of denture stomatitis in cigarette smokers. METHODS: Overall, 45 habitual cigarette smokers aged ~58 years having denture stomatitis were categorized into three groups: Group-I - RB-mediated PDT, Group-II - CUR-mediated PDT, and Group-III - Nystatin therapy. The primary outcome of the interest was: counts of Candida colony from denture surface and palatal mucosa, calculated as CFU/mL, whereas the prevalence of Candida species determined in 3 research groups comprised the secondary outcome. Oral swab specimens were gathered from the denture surfaces and palatal mucosa. All clinical assessments were performed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. RESULTS: C. albicans was the most prevalent yeast identified on both denture surfaces and palatal mucosa, followed by C. tropicalis and C. glabrata. A considerable decrease in the CFU/mL scores were observed in Group-I and Group-II at the end of the interventions and on the 12-week follow-up (p<0.05). Group-I, II, and III demonstrated clinical efficacy rates of 53%, 51%, and 49%, respectively. CONCLUSION: CUR-and RB-mediated PDT was found to be as effective as topical Nystatin therapy for the intervention of denture stomatitis among cigarette smokers.