Oral Diseases

January 2000, Volume 6, Issue 1, Pages 3 - 11

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Review
Isolation and identification of candida from the oral cavity

DW Williams & MAO Lewis

Department of Oral Surgery, Medicine and Pathology, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, CF4 4XY, UK    

Correspondence to: Dr M A O Lewis , Department of Oral Surgery, Medicine and Pathology, Dental School, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK, CF4 4XY, UK. Tel/Fax +44(0) 1222 742541    

Keywords
candida;   isolation;   identification;   methodology

Abstract

A number of methods of sampling the oral cavity for the presence of candida have been developed. Such techniques play an important role in the diagnosis and management of oral candidosis. In the past, identification of candida isolated from the oral cavity has usually been limited to the genus Candida or to the species C. albicans. However, with the recognition that Candidaspecies differ in the production of putative virulence factors and sensitivity to antifungal agents, greater emphasis has been placed on identification of isolates to species level. As a result a range of commercially available systems for yeast identification can now be used in conjunction with traditional identification procedures.

Oral Diseases (2000) 6, 3-11

Received 22 April 1999; Revised 17 June 1999; Accepted 2 July 1999

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2000