Effect of oral hygiene in infants before dental eruption on Candida spp. colonization and the occurrence of oral candidiasis: A randomized clinical trial

To assess the influence of oral hygiene in infants before the primary tooth eruption on colonization by and the occurrence of oral candidiasis. Fifty-six infants were randomly selected in their first 48 hours of life and allocated into 2 groups: Group I (Mothers were instructed to sanitize the oral cavity of the infant with gauze and filtered water once a day) and Group II (Mothers were instructed not to sanitize the oral cavity of the infant before the dental eruption). Data collection was performed one month after the birth of the infant, in their residence, including saliva collection for identification and quantification of Colonization by species was found in 49.1% of the infants evaluated. There was no statistically significant difference between colonization by and intervention groups ( =0.947). 13.2% of the participants presented oral candidiasis during the first month of life, this prevalence was 15.4% in the control group and 11.1% in the intervention group, however, this difference was not significant ( =0.704). The colonization and the oral candidiasis occurrence, in the first month of the life of the infant, were not influenced by oral hygiene. Infants, oral hygiene, oral health, oral candidiasis.