Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of recombinant psoriasin as a novel treatment for oral candidiasis by eliminating Candida albicans growth on polymethyl methacrylate denture base.Materials and Methods: Recombinant psoriasin protein was expressed and purified from E. coli, and Candida growth was monitored in vitro with varying concentrations of psoriasin. Subsequently, denture‐base polymethyl methacrylate was immersed in psoriasin's solution or voriconazole, and fungal growth on the acrylic base and in the medium was examined by scanning electron microscopy and optical density, respectively. Cellular viability of HeLa and human gingival fibroblast cells treated with psoriasin was measured by methylene blue assay.Results: The findings reveal an effective antifungal activity of psoriasin, completely inhibiting Candida albicans growth in RPMI at a protein concentration above 400 nM. Immersing the polymethyl methacrylate with 50 μM psoriasin completely eradicates fungal growth. Psoriasin has low cytotoxicity in HeLa cells at a concentration higher than 12 μM and no toxic effect on human gingival fibroblasts.Conclusions: This study marks psoriasin as an effective alternative to conventional antifungal treatments for denture stomatitis and a safe alternative to chemical antifungals in dental medicine and beyond.

Temporary dental crowns and bridges are commonly made of poly-methylmethacrylate (PMMA), a porous material attracting the microbial biofilm associated with malodor production. The purpose of the present study was to test pre-disinfection of PMMA on malodor-related parameters in an experimental oral biofilm. PMMA discs were pre-soaked in anti-malodor disinfecting solutions and controls: (i) Saline, (ii) essential oils (EO), (iii) herbal extracts (HE), and (iv) chlorhexidine (CHX). Following, discs were subjected to a salivary incubation assay and monitored for malodor-producing bacteria within the biofilm using confocal microscopy (CLSM), malodor production (organoleptic scale 0–5), volatile sulfide levels (Halimeter), and salivary protein degradation (SDS-PAGE). Results showed that disinfection solutions were significantly effective in reducing malodor-related parameters (CHX > HE > EO > Saline). Taken together, these results suggest that pre-disinfection may help to reduce malodor production in PMMA temporary dental restorations.

Coaggregation by bridging bacteria such as Fusobacterium nucleatum is considered a key element in dental biofilm development and maturation. Previous studies showed that sublethal exposure to blue light caused damage to cell membrane integrity. The aim of the present study was to test the effect of blue light phototoxicity on this bacterium’s ability to coaggregate with the early colonizer Streptococcus sanguinis. Fusobacterium nucleatum bacterial cells were suspended in coaggregation buffer (CAB) and exposed to blue light (400–500 nm) for 0, 70, 140 and 280 s (i.e., fluences of 0, 96, 192 and 384 J/cm², respectively). Following blue light exposure, samples were mixed with Streptococcus sanguinis suspensions and coaggregation was measured using a visual scale, spectrophotometric analysis and light microscopy. Results showed that blue light exposure significantly reduced the ability of Fusobacterium nucleatum to coaggregate with Streptococcus sanguinis. These results suggest that blue light antibacterial phototoxicity may be considered as a viable option in preventing dental biofilm-related conditions.

Oral candidiasis leading to denture stomatitis is a fungal infection resulting from unregulated growth and adhesion mainly of Candida albicans onto acrylic denture base. Once the biofilm is formed, it is immune resistant and mainstay treatments involve toxic chemical antifungal agents or mechanical cleaning techniques, both offer limited efficacy. Consequently, there is an urgent need for more effective and safer therapeutic approaches. While biological modalities are expanding in general medicine, the exploration of protein-based therapeutics in dental medicine remains limited. This research evaluates the inhibitory effect of recombinantly expressed psoriasin on the growth of Candida albicans on polymethyl methacrylate denture bases. Psoriasin, also known as S100-A7, has shown promise in treating microbial skin infections, and its natural presence in saliva makes it a promising candidate for treating oral microbial infections. Our findings indicate that psoriasin exhibits a strong, dose-dependent inhibition of Candida albicans growth. Further, we incubated a polymethyl methacrylate denture base within the psoriasin solution. Notably, immersing the denture base in the solution completely eradicated fungal growth. Our research utilizes natural antifungal proteins within biomedical devices like denture bases, suggesting psoriasin as a safe alternative to chemical antifungals in dental medicine.