Oral medicineOral Candida carriage among individuals chewing betel-quid with and without tobacco

ObjectiveThe aim was to assess oral Candida carriage among individuals chewing betel-quid (BQ) with and without tobacco.Study designA retrospective and comparative study of oral Candida carriage among individuals chewing BQ with and without tobacco. Oral yeast samples were collected from 103 BQ-chewers (52 chewing BQ with tobacco and 51 chewing BQ without tobacco) and 100 non-chewers. Candida strains were cultured in Sabouraud dextrose agar and identified using the API 32-C System and polymerase chain reaction-DNA sequencing. Tongue lesions were clinically identified and numbers of missing teeth were recorded. Unstimulated whole salivary flow rate was recorded.ResultsOral Candida species were isolated from 72.7% BQ-chewers (73.1% in individuals chewing BQ with tobacco and 72.4% in individuals chewing BQ without tobacco) and 61% non-chewers.ConclusionChewing BQ (with or without tobacco) does not influence oral Candida carriage.