Oral Candidal Colonization in Patients with Different Prosthetic Appliances

A Systematic Review of Denture Stomatitis: Predisposing Factors, Clinical Features, Etiology, and Global Candida spp. Distribution

Denture stomatitis (DS) is a very common disease in wearers of removable complete and partial dentures with a worldwide prevalence in the range of 20-67%. Both industrially developed and impoverished nations are affected by the illness. DS is often associated with ill-fitting dentures or a fungal infection with Candida spp. Candida is normally found in the oral cavity microbiota, but it can be harmful to the health of elderly people with underlying diseases. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to offer the most recent information about the epidemiology, etiology, and global distribution of Candida species associated with DS through a systematic review. Several databases, including Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus, were used to conduct an extensive search of the literature published in the previous 20 years. The selection of studies was performed by two authors. The extracted data were as follows: author, year of publication, country, sample, frequency of DS, method of diagnosing stomatitis, species of Candida, risk factors, and etiology of the disease. The JBI Critical appraisal tools were used to assess the quality of the studies. Eventually, twenty-eight studies were included in the systematic review. Twenty-one studies investigated DS, while seven studies examined Candida colonization in patients using removable dentures. The results show that the main causes of DS include the type of dentures, continuous wearing of dentures, and the formation of a Candida biofilm, which is facilitated by poor dental hygiene. Additionally, previous studies have pinpointed the significance of the salivary flow, saliva composition, and salivary pH. The findings of the current review indicate that it is crucial to monitor denture wearers for the appearance of DS, especially the patients whose immunity has been impaired due to a systemic condition. Finally, frequent follow-ups should include a clinical examination and microbial swabs of the palatal mucosa and the mucosal surface of the denture.

Appraisal and characterization of candida load isolated from the oral cavity of smokers

Cigarette smoking is regarded as a major global health risk, therefore the aim of this work was to investigate the association of oral Candida spp. as one of the etiological agents of denture stomatitis with smokers of cigarette, hookah (shisha), and electronic smoking, also a dose-response relationship between the duration of smoking and the probability of denture stomatitis between volunteers. Oral rinse samples were collected from 47 male volunteers including 34 smokers and 13 non-smokers, also data of volunteers were collected via a questionnaire forum. Patterns of smoking were shown that smokers using tobacco cigarettes 17 (36.2 %), electronic cigarettes 16 (34.04 %), and hookah smokers 8 (17.02 %). A comparison of smokers and non-smokers regarding effects on oral health showed significantly finding (P < 0.05) indicating that smoking affects oral health in all evaluated parameters (an oral mucosal abnormality, mouth ulcers, bad breath, and feeling of dry mouth). Out of 19 Candida isolates, 18 (94.7 %) were identified as Candida albicans and 1 (5.3 %) as Candida tropicalis. Among the volunteers who presented with oral Candida (19 volunteers), 17 (89.5%) were smokers, while non-smoker volunteers were 2 (10.5 %), so it can be concluded that smoking was a significant positive correlation to the presence of Candida in the oral cavity. Five volunteers suffered from chronic diseases; 4 (8.5%) diabetes mellitus and 1 (2.1%) anemia as a systemic predisposing factor for oropharyngeal infection. Amphotericin and Nystatin had varying degrees of activity against isolated Candida isolates.

Evaluation of red-complex bacteria loads in complete denture patients: a pilot study

OBJECTIVE

This pilot study aimed to evaluate red-complex bacteria (RCB) loads in edentulous patients, before and after dentures' insertion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty patients were included in the study. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) isolated from bacterial samples were obtained from the dorsum of the tongue before and 3 months after complete dentures (CDs) insertion in order to identify the presence of RCB (Tannerella forsythia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Treponema denticola) and quantify their loads, using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Bacterial loads were represented as "Lg (genome equivalents/sample)" and the data classified according to the "ParodontoScreen" test.

RESULTS

Significant changes in bacterial loads were observed before and 3 months after the CDs insertion for: P. gingivalis (0.40 ± 0.90 vs 1.29 ± 1.64, p = 0.0007), T. forsythia (0.36 ±0.94 vs 0.87 ± 1.45, p = 0.005), and T. denticola (0.11 ± 0.41 vs 0.33 ± 0.75, p = 0.03). Before the CDs insertion, all patients had a normal bacterial prevalence range (100%) for all analyzed bacteria. Three months after the insertion, 2 (6.7%) of them had a moderate bacterial prevalence range for P. gingivalis, while 28 (93.3%) had a normal bacterial prevalence range.

CONCLUSION

The use of CDs has a significant impact on increasing RCB loads in edentulous patients.

Changes in the Surface Texture of Thermoplastic (Monomer-Free) Dental Materials Due to Some Minor Alterations in the Laboratory Protocol-Preliminary Study

Contemporary thermoplastic monomer-free prosthetic materials are widely used nowadays, and there are a great variety available on the market. These materials are of interest in terms of the improvement of the quality features of the removable dentures. The aim of this study is to establish how minimal changes in the laboratory protocol of polyamide prosthetic base materials influence the surface texture. Two polyamide materials intended for the fabrication of removable dentures bases were used-Perflex Biosens (BS) and VertexTM ThermoSens (TS). A total number of 20 coin-shaped samples were prepared. They were injected under two different modes-regular, as provided by the manufacturer, and modified, proposed by the authors of this study. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) under four magnifications-×1000, ×3000, ×5000, and ×10,000-was conducted. With minimal alterations to the melting temperature (5 °C) and the pressure (0.5 Bar), in Biosens, no changes in terms of surface improvement were found, whereas in ThermoSens, the surface roughness of the material significantly changed in terms of roughness reduction. By modifying the technological mode during injection molding, a smoother surface was achieved in one of the studied materials.

Candida Carriers among Individuals with Tongue Piercing—A Real-Time PCR Study

Among the local factors for oral candidiasis, the piercing of the tongue is recognized by some authors as a risk factor for the colonization of Candida albicans. There are few case reports in which Candida spp. colonization and infection are associated with tongue piercing but only one microbiological study supports this hypothesis in general. The aim of this study was to examine this possible association between the presence of both tongue piercing and Candida spp. in healthy individuals. Positive results for tongue colonization with Candida spp. were found in four (12.9%) of the tongue-pierced subjects and in three (9.67%) subjects of the control group (p = 0.550). All samples were identified as Candida albicans. The univariate and logistic regression analyses of possible risk factors for tongue colonization revealed that gender (p = 0.024), smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day (p = 0.021), and improper hygiene (p = 0.028) were statistically significant influencing factors in the multivariate analysis. The results suggest that the piercing of the tongue is not a risk factor for colonization of Candida spp.

Effect of Candida albicans Suspension on the Mechanical Properties of Denture Base Acrylic Resin

Yeast-like fungi such as Candida albicans (C. albicans) are the primary pathogenic microorganism in the oral cavity of denture wearers. The research available so far, conducted according to a protocol based on the exposure of specimens to a C. albicans suspension and their cutting with water cooling, shows that hard polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) prosthetic materials are not only surface colonized, but also penetrated by microorganisms in a short time. This justifies the hypothesis that exposure to a suspension of the C. albicans strain causes the changes in mechanical properties due to surface colonization and/or penetration of the samples. In the current study, the chosen mechanical properties (flexural strength, flexural modulus, tensile strength, impact strength, ball indentation hardness, and surface Vickers hardness at 300 g load) of the PMMA denture base material Vertex RS (Vertex-Dental, The Netherlands) exposed for 30, 60, and 90 days to a suspension of C. albicans were investigated. The potential penetration of yeast was examined on the fractured surfaces (interior of specimens) to eliminate the risk of the contamination of samples during cutting. There was no influence on the flexural strength, flexural modulus, tensile strength, impact strength, or ball indentation hardness, but a significant decrease in surface hardness was registered. Microscopic observations did not confirm the penetration of C. albicans. On the surface, blastospores and pseudohyphae were observed in crystallized structures and in traces after grinding, which indicates that in clinical conditions, it is not penetration but the deterioration of surface quality, which may lead to the formation of microareas that are difficult to disinfect, causing rapid recolonization.

Microbial Adhesion to Dental Polymers for Conventional, Computer-Aided Subtractive and Additive Manufacturing: A Comparative In Vitro Study

Modern structural materials are represented by a variety of polymer materials used for dental patients’ rehabilitation. They differ not only in physico-chemical properties, but also in microbiological properties, which is one of the reasons why these materials are chosen. The study focused on the microbial adhesion of clinical isolates of normal (5 types), periodontopathogenic (2 types), and fungal (2 types) microbiotas to various materials based on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) intended for traditional (cold-cured and hot-cured polymers), computer-aided subtractive and additive manufacturing. A comparative analysis was carried out on the studied samples of polymer materials according to the microorganisms’ adhesion index (AI). The lowest level of microorganisms’ AI of the three types of microbiotas was determined in relation to materials for additive manufacturing. The AI of hot-cured polymers, as well as materials for subtractive manufacturing, corresponded to the average level. The highest level of microorganisms’ adhesion was found in cold-cured polymers. Significant differences in AI for materials of the same technological production type (different manufacturers) were also determined. The tendency of significant differences in the indicators of the microorganisms’ adhesion level for the studied polymer materials on the basis of the type of production technology was determined.