Prevalence of Candida albicans in patients using fixed orthodontic appliances after the use of peppermint

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the antifungal effectof peppermint extract as mouth rinse during orthodontic treatment.Thirty patients (11 males and 19 females) who wear orthodonticappliances and instructed to use chlorhexidine asmouth rinse (8 patients); Mentha piperita extract (10 patients)or left to care of their teeth without any mouth rinse (12 patients);mean number of Candida albicans colonies recoveredfrom anterior surface at three intervals (Time 0: Before wearingthe appliance; time 1: After 7 days and time 2: After 1month) was 48.8, 144.3, 158.9 for the control group; 132.9,125.4, 147.9 for the peppermint group and 72, 105.8 and130.8 for the chlorhexidine group.The mean number of Candida albicans colonies fromthe posterior surface at the different intervals was 87.4, 136.8,159.5; 121.3, 84, 34.6 and 78.5, 91.25, 91 for control, peppermintand chlorhexidine groups respectively. The use of thepeppermint extract decreases the number of Candida albicanssignificantly at the posterior surfaces