Invitro Antifungal Evaluation of Denture Soft Liner Incorporated with Tea Tree Oil: A New Therapeutic Approach Towards Denture Stomatitis.
OBJECTIVE
Adherence and colonization of candida on denture soft liners is the most important contributing factor in development of denture stomatitis. This invitro study is undertaken to investigate whether the incorporation of tea tree oil into denture soft liners would inhibit the growth of candida albicans.


METHODS
Each 10 specimen disks incorporated with tea tree oil into soft liners (St) and without tea tree oil (S) were prepared. Both the tea tree oil daily. These disks were inoculated with candida albicans suspension for assessment of fungal growth and were rinsed with sterile water to remove loosely attached surface organisms. The attached yeasts were measured by inoculating them on saboraud's agar. Treated and control disks were stored in distilled water for 1, 30, 60 days and washed daily with wet cotton. Data between treated and control disks were compared by applying t-test.


RESULTS
The mean colony forming units (CFU) per mm(2) for specimens without tea tree oil after water storage and wash with wet cotton for 1, 30 and 60 days was 7.1 × 10(6), 6.5 × 10(6), 6.8 × 10(6), respectively and for specimens with tea tree oil CFU decreased significantly to 2.1 × 10(6), 2.8 × 10(6), 3.1 × 10(6) after 1, 30 and 60 days. Treated disks were effective in controlling the growth of C.albicans for two months following water storage.


CONCLUSIONS
Addition of tea tree oil to denture soft liner significantly reduced growth of C.albicans suggesting a new form of intra oral effective antifungal management for denture stomatitis.
Senior Lecturer, Department of Prosthodontics, Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences , Sreepuram, Narketpally, Nalgonda District, Telangana, India .
Koteswara Rao
KR
Pachava
Reader, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences , Sreepuram, Narketpally, Nalgonda District, Telangana, India .
Lakshmi Kavitha
LK
Nadendla
Assistant Dentist, Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences , Sreepuram, Narketpally, Nalgonda District, Telangana, India .
Leela Subhashini Choudary
LS
Alluri
Assistant Dentist, Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences , Sreepuram, Narketpally, Nalgonda District, Telangana, India .
Huma
H
Tahseen
Intern Student, Kamineni Institute of Dental Sciences , Sreepuram, Narketpally, Nalgonda District, Telangana, India .
Navya Poojitha
NP
Sajja
Candida albicans; Colony forming units; Inoculum; Melaleuca alternifolia; Sabouraud’s agar; Silicone soft liner