Association Between Smoking and Smokeless from of Tobacco With candida Species in The Oral Cavity.

Candida species constitute a part of the human oral commensal flora in 2 to 71 percent of healthy subjects.  Several previous studies have reported that tobacco smoking, either alone or in combination with other systemic or local factors, is associated with increased oral candidal colonization or with the development of oral candidosis. It has been suggested that cigarette smoking might lead to localized epithelial alterations allowing candidal colonization. Cigarette smoke may also provide nutrition for candida albicans. Theories offer partial explanations why smokers may be more prone to candidal leukoplakia with higher potential for malignant changes than other leukoplakias. Aim of the study was to assess and compare the quantitative oral colonization of Candida species between a group of tobacco smokers and smokeless form of tobacco users