A Study on Oral Candida and its Correlation with Oral Status in Elderly People

It is reported that the number of Candida harboured in oral cavity increases with age. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of Candida carriage and the distribution of Candida spp. in elderly people. Methods: A total of 366 subjects aged 75 years participated in a questionnaire survey and oral examination. Candida were collected from tongue dorsum and cultured on CHROMagar medium. Candida spp. was distinguished according to their colony color. Results: The result showed a high incidence (65.3%) of Candida carriage and the predominant species was Candida albicans (77.8%) and followed by Candida glabrata (40.7%) which both were higher than our previous reports. When comparing Candida results with oral status, positive correlations were detected in the presence of dental prosthesis(p<0.001), the number of remaining roots (p<0.05), and the percentage of sites showing BOP(Bleeding on Probing) positive per person(p<0.05), while negative correlations were found in the number of teeth present(p<0.001). Only the item of dry mouth complaint in questionnaire had positive correlation with Candida status. Conclusions: The results suggest that the incidence of Candida carriage is higher in elderly people, and that C. albicans is the most predominant in this group of people. Also Candida carriage is significantly associated with oral status, especially the presence of dental prosthesis.