Oral Health and Dental Management

Abstract

Oral Candida

Maya Rashkova, Nina Toneva, Marieta Belcheva, Milena Peneva

Oral colonization with Candida in part of new born children represents the start of their oral ecosystem whereby homeostasis is an important defense factor. The aim of the present study is to follow the oral colonization with Candida in new born children and children up to 1 year of age and seek dependence of these microorganisms on the general health status of the children. The study was carried out with 160 children age 0 to 1 year. Fungi of Candida type are among the first colonizers in oral medium, populating 16.5% of the new born children and reaching 38.46% of the children up to 1 year of age. The type characteristics of oral Candida shows that C. albicans is isolated in 87% of the children. Candida quantities are very different; more then 1/3 of the children with Candida have quantities of 105-106 cells/ml without exhibiting clinical symptoms of oral candidosis. Candida colonises more frequently children with systematic chronical diseases and damages. The dependence between the general health status of the children and the oral Candida provides reasoning to propose that Candida in oral cavity be accepted as a marker indicating the influence of the general status of the organism on the oral medium.