Effect of components of resilient denture-lining materials on the growth, acid production and colonization of Candida albicans.

Variation in the components of soft lining materials, i.e. the size of polymer particles, the ethyl alcohol content of the liquids and the type of plasticizer, were investigated with respect to their effects on the growth and colonization of Candida albicans. Inhibitory effects on fungal growth and/or acid production were found to vary depending upon the components of soft lining materials. In particular, two plasticizers, benzyl benzoate (BB) and benzyl salicylate (BS), significantly decreased the growth rate, whereas the size of polymer particle had little effect on fungal growth. Ethyl alcohol content of liquid significantly affected the fungal growth and/or acid production depending upon the plasticizer used. For instance, in the case of BS, the antifungal effect was related to ethyl alcohol contents, whereas a reverse effect was observed with benzyl n-butyl phthalate (BBP). Further examination using scanning electron microscopy revealed that Candida blastospores colonized lining materials in the following two ways depending on the plasticizers used. On the BS and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) specimen, the blastospore of this yeast associated loosely, whereas, in the case of BB, BBP and butyl phthalyl butyl glycorate (BPBG), fungal blastospore tightly and invasively colonized onto the specimens. These results clearly demonstrated a relationship between components of soft lining materials and fungal growth and colonization.