Evaluation of a dehydrated test strip,Microstix -Candida for detection of Candida-induced denture stomatitis.

The outgrowth of yeast from the fitting surface of the maxillary denture and the palatal mucosa was estimated in 63 denture wearers by means of smears and by culture on Microstix-Candida (M-C). There was a significant relationship between the concentration of yeasts as assessed by smears and by M-C. There were confluent spots on M-C, indicating large numbers of yeast cells, in 81% of 37 denture wearers with a positive microscopic diagnosis for Candida-induced denture stomatitis, whereas there were confluent spots on M-C in only one of 26 denture wearers with a negative microscopic diagnosis for infection. It is concluded that the M-C test seems to have sufficient diagnostic sensitivity to be an alternative to the smear for establishing the diagnosis of Candida-induced denture stomatitis.