Association between Candida species and periodontal disease: A systematic review

Periodontal diseases result in the inflammation of the supporting structures of the teeth, thereby leading to attachment loss and bone loss. One of the main etiological factors responsible for this condition is the presence of subgingival biofilms, comprising microorganisms, namely bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Candida species is one of the fungi reported to be found in periodontal disease which is suggestive of the presence of an association between these variables. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the association of Candida species with periodontal disease and determine the prevalence of these species in the patients affected with this disease. The articles related to the subject of interest were searched in several databases, including the PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus. The search process was accomplished using three keywords, namely ‘‘Candida species’’, ‘‘Chronic periodontitis’’, and ‘‘Gingivitis’’. All the identified studies were comprehensively evaluated for the association of Candida species with periodontal disease. This systematic review included 23 articles, which assessed the prevalence of Candida species in periodontal diseases. The results of 21 studies were indicative of a positive association between Candida species and periodontal diseases. Accordingly, it was concluded that there is a strong association between the presence of Candida species and periodontal diseases.