Candidal carriage and plaque distribution before, during and after removable orthodontic appliance therapy

Candidal counts at 6 mucosal sites in 33 subjects were estimated by imprint culture before, during and after removable orthodontic appliance therapy. Additionally, dental plaque scores and salivary pH were measured at each stage. Whole mouth and site prevalence of candida rose significantly during therapy before falling to levels approximating initial values. A similar pattern was seen for candidal counts for the whole mouth and at individual mucosal sites, although post-treatment densities were usually lower than originally seen. The number of sites colonised by candida and salivary pH also increased significantly during treatment and fell significantly afterwards. Only the upper palatal plaque scores rose during therapy and most other dental sites showed a gradual decrease in value during the course of the study. This could be attributed to regular monitoring of the patient's oral hygiene procedures. This investigation demonstrated a direct relationship between the presence of an acrylic appliance, candida and low salivary pH levels. Furthermore, removable appliance therapy had a positive, though transient influence upon the prevalence and density of oral candidal carriage, suggesting that the appliance may initiate the carrier state.