Could Frequency of Candida spp. Be Different on Various Parts of Tongue in Denture and Non-denture Wearers?

Oral Candidiasis is the most common opportunistic fungal infection that could affect the oral mucosa. Studies to date did not compare the colony count of candida of the anterior and posterior surfaces of the tongue. This study makes an attempt to compare the Candida spp. on the anterior and posterior surfaces of tongue among healthy denture and non-denture wearers.

Participants of the current cross-sectional study were 26 healthy denture wearers (DW) and 10 healthy non-denture wearers (NDW).  Oral specimens were collected from anterior and posterior tongue dorsa by swabbing for mycological examination. After 48 h incubation on Sabouraud dextrose agar (S) and chloramphenicol (SC) and chloramphenicol and Cycloheximide (SCC) ™ medium, C. Albicans and non-Albicans were identified by Germ Tube test. Isolated colonies were evaluated. Obtained data were analyzed by SPSS software version 17. Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon nonparametric tests were used for statistical comparison of data due to non-compliance with normal distribution.

The higher rate of isolated colonies was seen in DW group compared to NDW group (P-Value = 0.03). There was a significant difference between candida colonization of anterior and posterior surface of tongue (P-Value = 0.006). C. Albicans was the most common isolated candida species.

Mycological findings of this study revealed that the presence of denture can increase colonization of candida on the posterior surface of the tongue. It could be an important role in choosing the best form for medical management of oral candidiasis