ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF MICROFLORA ASSOCIATED WITH DENTAL PROSTHESIS

Abstract

Complete and partial dental prosthesis or dentures act as a reservoir for microbial colonization, which may lead to systemic infections including aspiration pneumonia, gastrointestinal infections, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Denture wearers frequently use fingers to wear and remove the prosthesis in their mouth and store them overnight in water. Thus, the aim of this study was to isolate, quantify, identify, and compare microorganisms found in dentures, determine the frequency of pathogenic isolates and to explore and examine all the possible sources that contaminate the dental prosthesis.

Cultures in aerobic conditions were cultivated on solid non-selective and selective media. Biochemical methods which are conventional were used to identify the microorganisms.

Present study compared the diversity present in different category of samples and on calculation of diversity indices, denture swab sample showed higher diversity whereas samples of denture water or storage water showed less diversity.

This study evaluated the prevalence of Bacillus, Micrococcus, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Candida spp. Thus, the microbial population in dentures should be considered  a potential source of oral and systemic diseases.