Oral yeasts, mucosal health, and drug use in an elderly denture-wearing population.

Drug use among the elderly may be a factor in oral mucosal pathology and the prevalence of oral yeasts. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between oral yeast, denture-bearing mucosal health and drug use, especially drugs with known hyposalivatory side effects. There was an inverse relationship between denture-bearing mucosal health, and hyposalivatory drug use r = -0.41 P less than 0.04. Use of drugs with a hyposalivatory side effect was related to increased numbers of Candida glabrata but not Candida albicans in saliva and at denture stomatitis and denture sore sites.