Abstract

Diabetes is an important health problem with a high morbidity and mortality. There are infections that are common in patients with diabetes and others that have greater severity and complications. A study was carried out to determine if there is a higher incidence of Candida albicans in patients with diabetes who use total and partial dental prostheses in comparison with patients without diabetes. Samples were obtained from 43 patients seven days after receiving a total or partial dental prosthesis. Afterwards, samples from the dentures were cultured in CHROMagar to determine the presence of Candida. The frequency of different types of Candida was analyzed and it was found that no significant difference exists between patients with diabetes and those without diabetes with regard to the presence of C. albicans.

Key words: Candida albicans, dental prosthesis, diabetes mellitus, CHROMagar.