Prevalence of Oral Candidiasis in Diabetic Patients Referring to Aliasghar Hospital in Zahedan

Oral candidiasis is a common opportunistic infection in diabetic patients. Candida albicans is colonized on different oral surfaces such as tongue, palate, dental caries and plaques. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Candida albicans in the mouth of diabetic patient. This cross - sectional study was conducted on 120 diabetic patients. After completing the questionnaire, the saliva samples were obtained and cultured on sabouraud agar medium containing 0.005% chloramphenicol. For final diagnosis, Germ tube test and Sugar absorption test (with API 120 kit) were used. Of 120 patients, 61 (50.8%) were positive for Candida. Candida infection rate was relatively higher in older patients and in women. The rate was significant in the patients using dentures (P< 0.001) and the ones keeping on smoking (P <0.038). The infection in the patients with type II diabetes was higher than the cases with Type I. Given the high prevalence of Candidiasis and Candida colonization in the mouth of diabetic patients, it is a necessity to identify and treat these infections in order to prevent further complications.