Candida associated denture stomatitis is the most common oral disease in denture wearers. The density of Candida in individuals using prosthesis is very important in terms of infection development. As denture stomatitis is a multifactorial disease, so denture wearing, along with many other factors, involves in the changes of candidal count. Objective: Determine the candidal count after providing the patients with complete dentures as quantification of candidal count is helpful in differentiating between colonization and infection. Methods: This study was conducted in Department of Prosthodontics, Punjab Dental Hospital, Lahore. 155 edentulous patients visiting the Prosthodontic department were selected on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Before insertion of complete dentures, oral sample were taken using the oral rinse technique. The sample was inoculated on Sabourauds agar, and incubated at 220C for 48 hrs. The number of colonies characteristic of Candida was counted. Denture hygiene instructions given. The patients were recalled after three months and the same oral sampling and culture technique were employed. Results: The mean age of the patients that were included in the study was 57.97 ±4.99 years. In this study majority of the patients were male and constituted almost 80% of the sample population. The mean colony forming units before provision of complete dentures were 19.75 with a standard deviation of 12.30, this is considerably less than colony forming units after provision of complete dentures which was 165.37 with a standard deviation of 73.85. Conclusion: Denture wearing with meticulous oral hygiene in elderly individuals is of great concern in controlling candidal growth. Denture removal at night is recommended to help in eliminating the source of the infectious agent.
Key words: Candida, Denture Stomatitis, Culture Technique, Colony Forming Units.
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