Comparing the Effect of Green Tea Extract With Nystatin in the Treatment of Denture Stomatitis

Denture stomatitis is a very common oral mucosal lesion, affecting approximately 50% of denture wearers in some populations. More recently there is an increased interest to use natural antimicrobial compounds, like plant extracts of medicinal plants. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of green tea extract compared with nystatin drop in the treatment of denture stomatitis. This was a clinical trial study with 30 patients in two parallel groups, 15 patients received nystatin drop and the other ones green tea extract. The patients in two weeks were recommended to use mouthwash 4 times a day each time 15 - 20 drops for 2 - 3 minutes and after that they should avoid eating and drinking for 30 minutes; patients in the two groups were suggested to use the drug at a specific time. Amount of inflammation and erythema were recorded in each session and measured with a graded blade and recorded according to a 6-point scale. At each visit, mycological samples were taken from the palatal mucosa for culture. Age and sex differences between the groups were not significant. The erythema surface of the palatal was significantly reduced in the both groups at follow-up visits compared with the pretreatment condition. No significant difference was seen between the two groups at the same visits in erythema surface and colony counts of the palatal mucosa (P > 0.05). This study indicated that green tea extract can be effective in reducing the number of Candida colonies and erythematic area comparable to nystatin drop in the management of denture stomatitis.