Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between risk factors for developing denture stomatitis (DS) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in complete denture wearers. METHODOLOGY: Participants of both sexes, wearing complete dentures, were classified using the modified Newton classification for the absence or the severity of DS and allocated to groups Normal or zero, IA, IB, II, and III. Lifestyle, oral and denture history, and medication use were assessed using specific questionnaires; clinical parameters such as anatomical characteristics of support were evaluated with the Kapur classification; salivary flow (SF) was calculated by the volume of unstimulated saliva per minute; and microbial load was determined by counting colony forming units (CFU) of target microorganisms present in the biofilm collected from dentures and palate. OHIP-EDENT assessed the OHRQoL. Kendall's tau_b and Spearman tests were applied with a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: 184 patients (143 female and 41 male) aged 65.5 ± 6.8 years were evaluated. Positive correlations were found for sex (women; p=0.013, r=0.16), individuals who started to consume alcoholic beverages as a young adult (18-27 years) (p=0.008, r=0.22), CFU of Candida spp. (p<0.001, r=0.27 denture; p<0.001, r=0.31 palate); Candida albicans (p=0.004, r=0.22 denture; p=0.003, r=0.25 palate), and Candida glabrata (p=0.004, r=0.22 denture; p=0.001, r=0.27 palate). Moreover, negative correlations with DS were found for CFU of Staphylococcus spp. (p=0.004, r=-0.20 palate) and enterobacteria (p=0.002, r=-0.24 palate), as well as a negative correlation between SF (p=0.009, r=-0.193) and DS. The CFU of Staphylococcus spp. and enterobacteria on the palate significantly correlated with OHRQoL. CONCLUSION: Being female, consuming alcoholic beverages as a young adult, CFU of Candida spp., Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and salivary flow may be the most significant risk factors for DS. The microbial load of Staphylococcus spp. and enterobacteria seems to influence the quality of life for complete denture wearers.