PREVALENCE, TYPING, AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF ORAL CANDIDA COLONIZATION IN DENTURE WEARING AND FIXED ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE COMPARING TO NORMAL TEETH INDIVIDUALS
Authors: Madar Ebtihal Mohamed , Al-Khamesy Khaled Saad Abdulrahman , Al-Shamahy Hassan Abdulwahab , Abbas Al-Kasem Mohammed A 
Published: March 2024

Background and objectives: Oral Candida colonization (OCC) is one of the most common opportunistic fungal infections among people who wear dentures and have FOA. The prevalence of OCC and Candida among denture patients and FOA patients may change due to the presence of these dental appliances. This study aims to identify the different Candida species, determine the prevalence of OCC in 3 groups of individuals with removable or fixed dentures and fixed orthodontic appliances (FOA) compared with a control group of people with natural teeth and study the risk factors associated with contracting oral Candida species among these groups.
Subjects and methods: The investigational group was selected from denture and orthodontic patients who were clinically examined at the earliest time to obtain basic information before any effective treatment of dental infection. The group included 104 dental patients; 104 fixed orthodontic appliance (FOA) patients and 102 controls. The oral mucosa of each participant was first swabbed and then placed in a liquid medium. Then, after creating successive dilutions and applying them to Sabouraud dextrose agar, the isolates were diagnosed by culturing them on Candida agar with color, observing the colony characteristics of the species, in addition to studying the biochemical reactions to confirm the species.
Results: Of the 108 persons with OCC, 44 (34.8%) had a positive OCC. 148 oral Candida spp. were found in 108 OCC patients.  C. albicans (49.1%) was the most frequently isolated species, followed by C. glabrata (35.2%) and C. dubliniensis (13%). C. kefyr, C. krusei, C. famata, C. africana, and C. stellatoidea were initially isolated for the first time in the oral cavities of Yemeni dentistry patients. A higher rate of colonization was observed in the male group (48.5%) versus 25% in the female group, with odds ratio equal to 2.8, CI=1.7–4.6, X2=18, and p<0.001. Also there was association of denture wearing (44.2%, OR= 1.8, p =0.01) and older ages, (52.5%, OR= 2.3, p=0.01) with high rate of oral candida colonization. 
Conclusion: Candida colonization remains a major problem in the oral cavity. Although the prevalence of non-albicans Candida (NAC) species is increasing, C. albicans was still the dominant species. A higher rates and significant risk factors of OCC were observed in the male group, denture patients and the elderly.
                    
Peer Review History:
Received 2 December 2023;   Revised 29 January 2024; Accepted 28 February; Available online 15 March 2024
Academic Editor: Dr. Iman Muhammad Higazy, National Research Center, Egypt, imane.higazy@hotmail.com
Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 6.0/10
Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.0/10
Reviewers:
Dr. Vanina Doris Edo’o, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroun, vanina_edoo@yahoo.com
Dr. Taiwo O Elufioye, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, toonitaiwo@yahoo.com