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Candida - oral - Management
How should I manage oral candidiasis caused by dentures?
- Treat the acute infection with miconazole oral gel if the candidiasis is mild or localized (or if angular cheilitis is present), or treat with oral fluconazole if the infection is more widespread or severe.
- Advise hygiene measures to aid healing and prevent recurrence:
- Leave the dentures out for at least 6 hours in each 24-hour period to promote healing of the gums. If the gums are inflamed they may benefit from the dentures being left out for longer.
- Clean dentures by brushing and then soaking them in a disinfectant solution (for example chlorhexidine or hexetidine) overnight. The dentures can be soaked in any solution marketed to sterilize baby's bottles (providing the dentures contain no metal).
- Allow the dentures to air-dry after disinfection — this also kills adherent Candida.
- Brush the mucosal surface regularly with a soft brush.
- See a dentist to correct ill-fitting dentures.
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