COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITIES OF OPTIFRESH FLORIDE TOOTHPASTE AND HERBAL TOOTHPASTE AGAINST CANDIDA ALBICANS ISOLATED FROM THE MOUTH

ABSTRACT The oral cavity is a habitat for a large number of microorganisms which coexist with one another as normal microbiota. Candida Albican is a yeast and the most common cause of opportunistic mycoses worldwide and colonization occurs through commensalism. Candida Albicans colonization or infection tend to increase and is enhanced by a group of predisposing factors such as immunosuppression, nutritional deficiencies, long term antibiotic use, radiotherapy, dental prostheses, high carbohydrate diet, diabetes mellitus, heavy cigarette smoking and poor oral hygiene which may result in dental caries and diseases among others. Throughout history brushing and flossing have been considered as the golden standard in controlling plaque and preventing dental caries. Fluoride in toothpaste have shown to be effective in oral health in preventing dental caries and diseases. This study is aimed at evaluating the efficacies of selected fluoride toothpastes against Candida spp in preventing dental caries. A total of fifty (50) samples were obtained from the tooth surfaces of volunteers in Amassoma and Yenagoa by means of sterile swabs. Samples were cultured on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar and colonies were identified using Hi-CHROMagar for Candida spp and screened for susceptibility using Mueller Hinton Agar. A total of twenty-one (21) isolates were recovered. Candida albicans was most abundant (9) followed by Candida parapsilosis (8), Candida tropicalis (2), Candida glabrata (1) and Candida dubliniensis (1). Three brands of fluoride toothpastes (Close-up, Oral-B and Pepsodent) were evaluated to determine susceptibility by measuring zones of inhibition using agar disc diffusion method. The results indicated that all fluoride toothpaste brands exhibited a good antifungal activity against Candida spp with Close-up exhibiting the highest antifungal activity at different mean diameter of zones of inhibition 15.75±1.40mm, 3.92±2.51mm, 23.08±1.01mm and 12.17±4.00mm for C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis respectively. It was followed by Pepsodent with mean diameter zones of inhibition 14.25±0.57mm, 2.67±1.88mm, 23.00±1.00mm and 12.00±4.18mm for C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis respectively. Oral-B had mean diameter zones of inhibition 13.50±1.43mm, 2.75±1.62mm, 17.83±2.47mm and 9.67±3.03mm for C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis respectively. There was no antifungal activity for all fluoride toothpastes on C. dubliniensis. Dental caries can be prevented when an effective antimicrobial agent is used in conjunction with tooth brushing. An effective antimicrobial fluoride toothpaste can be used before and after eating to prevent against periodontal microorganisms. Therefore an agent for improving and maintaining oral hygiene should regularly be available to ensure standard quality production by the manufacturers of such product in order to eradicate inefficient products from the market.