Occurrence rate of oral Candida albicans in denture wearer patients.

PURPOSE: The aim was to determine the fungi occurrence rate in the oral cavity of denture wearer patients in comparison to those without dentures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The examinations were conducted in patients treated in two clinical departments of the University Hospital. Demographic data and those connected with basic diseases were collected and the evaluation concerning dentition and oral hygiene was performed. Samples for mycological examinations from the tongue dorsa, palatal mucosa, and mucosal surfaces of dentures were collected from patients with dentures while tongue and palate swabs were taken from those without dentures. For culture and identify of fungi standard methods were used. RESULTS: Dental and mycological examinations were performed in 95 patients, out of which 57 (60.0%) used complete or partial dentures and 38 (40.0%) had their own dentition (without dentures). Oral cavity revealed only growth of Candida albicans species, more frequently in patients with dentures (38/57; 66.7%) than in those without dentures (11/ 38; 28.9%) (p = 0.0003). C. albicans statistically significantly more frequently was isolated in denture wearer patients with diabetes mellitus (p = 0.0207) and without diabetes (p = 0.0376) comparing to such groups of patients but without dentures. Among 32 patients with diabetes mellitus, 14 (43.8%) revealed C. albicans; this rate was comparable with 9/23 (39.1%) patients without diabetes (p > 0.05). A similar analysis, conducted in 25 surgical patients with abdominal cancer and 15--without--cancers, did not show statistically significant differences in the incidence rate of C. albicans; it also concerned denture wearers (14/16; 87.5%) and non-wearing dentures (5/9; 55.6%) (p > 0.05) with cancer. In 37 (64.9%) wearer patients denture stomatitis was observed, associated mainly with C. albicans infections (29/37; 78.4%). CONCLUSIONS: 1) Mycological findings from the present study do not indicate that diabetes mellitus or advanced cancer has a significant effect on oral colonisation by Candida albicans or other species of Candida genus. 2) The occurrence rate of oral Candida albicans in patients with dentures (diabetic and non-diabetic, cancer and non-cancer patients) was higher than in patients without dentures (p < 0.05).

Aerobic bacteria in the oral cavity of patients with removable dentures.

PURPOSE: Determination of bacterial composition in the oral cavity of patients with removable dentures and with own dentition (without dentures). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Bacteriological investigations were performed in 55 patients from the department of internal medicine (32 diabetic patients) and 40 patients treated in surgical department (25 patients with malignancy). Palate mucosa and tongue dorsa swabs were collected from two groups of patients, and additionally swabs from mucosal part of denture surfaces in prosthetic patients. Cultures in oxygenic and microaerophilic (5% CO2) conditions were conducted on solid non-selective and selective media as well as media enriched with 5% sheep blood. Standard procedures of bacterial culture and identification were applied. RESULTS: Among 95 of examined patients, 57 (60.0%) with removable dentures and 38 (40.0%) had their own dentition. As far as prosthetic patients were concerned, the rate of bacterial isolations from palate, tongue dorsa and denture plaque swabs were generally comparable (p > 0.05); in number and species compositions. Statistically significant differences were observed in the bacterial composition of denture plaques, palate and tongue dorsa in patients with and without abdominal cancers. Patients without cancer did not reveal staphylococci and enteric bacteria in the samples from a various sites of their oral cavities. These bacteria were most common in cancer patients. Similar (in number and species) composition of bacteria occurred in palate and tongue swabs in patients without dentures (p > 0.05). The incidence rate of aerobic bacteria in denture plaques and palatal mucosa of patients with (37/57; 64.9%) and without (20/57; 35.1%) denture associated stomatitis were comparable (except for Neisseria spp.). CONCLUSIONS: 1) Generally, there were no statistically significant differences in species composition of bacteria isolated from the hard palate and tongue dorsa in patients with and without removable dentures. 2) Staphylococcus spp. and Gram-negative enteric bacilli were isolated more often from denture plaque, palate and tongue dorsa of cancer patients than from patients without cancer (p < 0.05). 3) Staphylococcus spp. was isolated more frequently from denture plaques of diabetic patients compared with non-diabetic patients (p < 0.05). 4) No significant differences observed in isolation frequencies (%) of aerobic bacteria in denture plaques and palatal mucosa of patients with and without denture associated stomatitis.