Effect of saliva and serum on the adherence of Candida species to chlorhexidine-treated denture acrylic.

The effect of saliva and serum on the adherence of five strains of Candida albicans and one each of C. tropicalis and C. glabrata to chlorhexidine-pretreated acrylic was measured in vitro. A four-fold dilution of saliva or serum significantly inactivated the fungicidal effect of chlorhexidine gluconate. Pretreatment of the acrylic with unstimulated mixed saliva for 30 min led to a reduced adherence for all the Candida strains tested, whilst a similar pretreatment with serum slightly increased adhesion. Moreover treatment of saliva- or serum-coated acrylic with chlorhexidine gluconate 2% reduced adherence by between 19% and 86%. The inhibition of yeast adherence by chlorhexidine persisted for up to 19 days after the exposure of the acrylic strips to the disinfectant.