Laser therapy as an adjunctive therapy for denture stomatitis

Abstract

AIM: To provide updated information about the use of lasers as an adjunctive therapy for denture stomatitis, the most prevalent oral lesion amongst denture-wearing patients. Patients present with pain and burning sensation in the mouth, erythema, inflammation with swelling of the palatal mucosa. Normal function is disturbed, with difficulty in wearing the dentures and in eating and drinking. Ultimately the digestive system will be affected. Prolonged conventional treatment may lead to the development of resistant Candida albicans. The search for an alternative treatment modality has led to some studies which consider laser therapy as an option in the management of denture stomatitis. METHOD: A literature search using "PUBMED" and "Google" was undertaken, using these key words in combination: "laser therapy for denture stomatitis", "approaches", "strategies" Only those articles that dealt with denture stomatitis symptoms, treatment and laser therapy, were selected. Abstracts and full text articles were used to compile this short review. CONCLUSION: The literature indicates that laser therapy may reduce the risk of the development of a drug resistant Candida albicans and could improve the prospects of treatment success for denture stomatitis, However, there remains a need for more research studies on various clinical lasers and wider laser parameters.