The Relationship of Myceliated Colonies of Candida Albicans with Denture Stomatitis: An In Vivo/In Vitro Study

Purpose: Switching from smooth to myceliated colonies, a virulent trait of Candida albicans, may be implicated in Candida-associated denture stomatitis. The purpose of this study was to verify the relationship between the presence of denture stomatitis and the frequency of myceliated colonies of C albicans isolates in denture wearers. Prevalence of denture stomatitis and influence of putative risk factors were also investigated. Materials and Methods: Demographic and clinical data concerning oral and general health, smoking, denture status, diet, and hygiene habits of 40 complete maxillary denture wearers were collected from an autoevaluation questionnaire and oral examination. Detection of C albicans in denture plaque and evaluation of hairy phenotype colonies were carried out on low nutrient media. Eleven subjects were followed-up at 1 month and 3 months after delivery of a new prosthesis. Results were statistically analyzed. Results: Prevalence of denture stomatitis was 77.5%. No statistically significant relation was found between presence of stomatitis and frequency of myceliated colonies of C albicans or presence of yeast. However, the study confirmed a statistically significant difference between Newton types IA and IIB stomatitis in relation to yeast colony-forming units, which were more than 300 times higher in type IIB. A direct relationship was observed between the presence of C albicans and nocturnal denture use (P = .01) and an inverse relation was observed with brushing of the palate (P = .03). Conclusion: The ability of C albicans strains isolated from dentures to produce myceliated colonies may not be directly involved in denture stomatitis.