Abstract
Introduction: Denture stomatitis is considered one of the most common oral diseases associated with patients wearing dentures. Smokers have an increased incidence of denture stomatitis. Candida albicans has been associated with poor oral hygiene, combined with other factors like ill-fitting dentures, increased age of dentures and mucosal trauma, leading to C. albicans infections and denture stomatitis. Nicotine increases C. albicans biofilm formation. Nystatin has been used for decades in the treatment of oral fungal infection. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether nystatin limits the effects of nicotine on increasing biofilm formation and metabolic activity of C. albicans on acrylic resin denture materials. Materials and methods: Standardized denture acrylic resin (PMMA) specimens (66 specimens) incubated with C. albicans were exposed to nicotine at different concentrations (0, 2, 4, 8, 16 mg/ml) for 24 hours, in 6-well culture plates with 0.8 mg/ml of nystatin. The viability of treated C. albicans was measured using spiral plating. Results and discussion: The viability of C. albicans increased concomitantly with increasing concentrations of nicotine, particularly at 2 and 4 mg/ml, respectively. Concentrations of nicotine above this resulted in an inhibitory effect on C. albicans viability. Addition of nystatin at 0.8 mg/ml decreased C. albicans viability, compared to 4 mg/ml of nicotine alone. Conclusions: Nicotine at 4 mg/ml increases the viability of C. albicans on denture base material, while nystatin was able to limit the negative effect of nicotine at different concentrations.