A prospective randomized trial to reduce oral Candida spp . colonization in patients with hyposalivation Ensaio clínico aleatório para reduzir a colonização oral de Candida spp. em pacientes com hipossalivação

Low salivary flow rates are associated with higher oral Candida spp. counts, which may predispose to oral candidiasis. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of stimulating salivary flow rates with that of a regimen of chlorhexidine mouth rinse on the intensity of Candida colonization in patients with reduced salivary flow rates. Thir - ty-one outpatients were randomized to stimulate salivary output (group 1) or to receive chlorhexidine mouth rinses (group 2). Evaluations were performed at baseline (T 0 ), at end of treatment (T 1 ), and 15 days after last day of treatment (T 2 ). Chewing-stimulated whole saliva samples were collected at each visit. Group 1 showed a constant reduction in medi- an cfu counts, although the difference was significant only between T 0 and T 2 (p = 0.004). Group 2 showed a reduction in median Candida cfu counts between T 0 and T 1 (p = 0.01), but the counts increased at T 2 (p = 0.01), and the difference between T 0 and T 2 was not significant (p = 0.8). In conclusion, patients who received salivary stimulation showed re - ductions of Candida cfu counts in saliva and a trend for increasing salivary flow rates between baseline and end of study evaluations. The use of chlorhexidine mouth rinses dramatically reduced Candida cfu counts, but when patients discontinued treatment, in- tensity of colonization rose again. Descriptors: Saliva; Candida; Xerostomia; Homeostasis; Colony count, microbial.