Recurrence of Candida Albicans Colonization in Denture Stomatitis Patients Treated with Low Level Laser Therapy

An optimal treatment modality for denture stomatitis (DS) hasn't been yet found since the disease recurrs quite often. The aim of this paper is to investigate the occurrence of recolonization of the yeast Candida albicans one week after laser irradiation treatment in patients with DS. 70 patients with clinical evidence of denture stomatitis participated in this study. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of four different treatment regimens: 1) irradiation with a 685 nm wavelength laser for 10 minutes (30 mW); 2) irradiation with a 830 nm wavelength laser for 5 minutes (60 mW); 3) placebo control group: sham irradiation of patients; 4) antimycotic control group: self treatment of patients' palatal mucosa with an antifungal oral gel and the use of an antiseptic solution for their dentures. A semiconductor diode laser, BTL-2000 (BTL-2 Dravotnicka Techika, Prague, Czech Republic), was used in both treatment cases using an energy density of 3.0 J/cm2 and a continuous working mode for five consecutive days. Swabs from patients palates and dentures were taken prior to initial treatment (1st day), immediately after the treatment was finished (5th day) and at a follow-up visit (12th day). We found that recolonization of Candida albicans, one week after treatment, occurred in a significant number of patients regardless of the treatment method. In order to achieve a long-term antimycotic effect, it is necessary to eliminate all predisposing factors individually, to incorporate the use of antifungal agents into the patients' regime, and to have the patients improve their oral hygiene habits.