Fungi Inhabiting the Oral Mucosa and Soft Material Lining the Obturator of Intraoral Post-surgical Prosthesis

Wieckiewicz, Wlodzimierz; Baran, Eugeniusz; Wieckiewicz, Dobrochna Zenczak; Proniewicz, Alina

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing prosthetic treatment develop yeast-like fungi on their oral mucosa in 60~70% of cases. In patients treated for maxillary tumors the incidence of fungi increases.
OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate the presence of Candida species by means of an imaging method with the use of scanning microscope picture. Using this method the authors wanted to investigate the adherence of Candida species to the surface of silicon elastomer and to evaluate their presence in the transverse section through the external lining of the post-surgical maxillary prosthesis obturator after the use of Silosept and Betadine.
METHODS
The material comprised 25 patients who had undergone the maxillary surgery for various kinds of tumors. All the patients had prostheses with obturators which had been lined with a silicon material, Mucopren three weeks prior to examination. The patients were advised to use 2% Silosept solution for disinfection and 0.5% Betadine gel to apply for the night.
RESULTS
The analysis of findings revealed the presence of fungi in the post-surgical cavity in 92% of the patients and on the prosthesis obturator in 96% of cases. The post-surgical section through the lining material revealed the presence of Candida species in 16% of patients, however this method does not allow an exact diagnosis of fungi.
CONCLUSION
Microscopic pictures demonstrated the 96% adhesion of Candida species to external silicon elastomer lining material. The presence of Candida in the transverse sections of the soft material was revealed in 16% of patients. Adherence to the base was found to be a causative factor favouring the persistence of inflammatory condition of the prosthesis bearing area.