TO ASSESS THE FREQUENCY OF CANDIDIASIS IN DIABETIC DENTURE WEARER PATIENTS

Abstract

Background: Oral candidiasis is a common opportunistic fungal infection that may occur more frequently in denture wearers, particularly in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To determine the frequency of oral candidiasis among diabetic denture wearers and compare it with non-diabetic denture wearers.

Methods: This case-control study was conducted at THQ Hospital Burewala and DIN Medical Complex from January 2025 to July 2025. A total of 60 denture wearers were included, comprising 30 diabetic patients as cases and 30 non-diabetic patients as controls. Participants were recruited using non-probability consecutive sampling. Demographic and clinical data were collected using a structured questionnaire.

Results: Oral candidiasis was detected in 21 (70.0%) diabetic denture wearers compared with 10 (33.3%) non-diabetic denture wearers. The difference was statistically significant (p=0.004), and diabetic denture wearers had approximately 4.67 times higher odds of candidiasis than controls (OR=4.67, 95% CI: 1.57–13.87). Candida albicans was the most frequently isolated species, accounting for 22 (71.0%) culture-positive cases. Candidiasis was also more common among participants with poor denture hygiene, overnight denture wearing, and denture use of five years or longer.

Conclusion: Oral candidiasis was significantly more frequent among diabetic denture wearers than among non-diabetic denture wearers. Candida albicans was the predominant species