فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

Candidiasis, the infection caused by Candida albicans, is one of the most common infections of the oral cavity inhumans. Candidiasis causes irritation and is known for its carcinogenic effects. Thus, it is important to recognize the predisposingfactors for this opportunistic infection. Several previous studies have demonstrated an increased frequency of vaginal candidiasisin relation to oral contraceptive consumption.Objectives: Only a few studies on the relation between oral contraceptives and oral candidiasis have been previously conducted.This study aims to evaluate the possible relation between oral contraceptive pills and oral candidiasis.Methods: This analytic, case-control study included 40 non-pregnant women divided into two groups: 20 who used oral contraceptivepills and 20 who did not. The groups were matched according to age, oral health, and past and present medical history. Sampleswere collected from the tongue’s dorsum using a cotton swab and inoculated on CHROMagar culture plates. The frequencyof positive cultures and the number of Candida colonies were compared between the two groups using independent t-tests andMann-Whitney statistical tests with SPSS18 software.Results: The frequency of positive cultures of Candida albicans was higher (P value = 0.03) for the case group. Also, the number of C.albicans and C. krusei was significantly higher for the case group compared to the control group (P value = 0.04, P value = 0.03).Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrate that oral contraceptives containing estradiol can lead to Candida colonizationin the oral cavity. It is recommended that further studies comparing the influence of oral contraceptives on Candida’sadherence to the epithelium is highly recommended.