ABSTRACT
Objectives: To evaluate the anti-candida properties of tea tree oil as an additive to heat cured acrylic resin. Materials and methods: Total 24 heat cured samples were prepared without the addition of oil (control), and 24 with additives (20% of pure natural tea tree oil). These disks were inoculated with 0.1 mL of Candida albicans standard inoculum and were rinsed with 0.9% NaCl to remove the loosely attached cells from the surface of the discs. Sabouraud’s dextrose agar plate was used for measuring the attached yeast. The control and treated disks have been placed in distilled water for 1 day, 21 days and 42 days and washed daily with wet cotton. Results: CFU the mean colony forming units for control disks were placed in water and cleaned with wet cotton for 1 day, 21 days and 42 days was 1.5000, 5.0000, 1.0000, respectively and CFU for disks with tea tree oil decreased to 0.8750, 1.6250 and 0.3750 after 1 day, 21 days and 42 days. Tea tree oil incorporated specimens were effective in reducing the growth of C. albicans after storage for 42 days in distilled water. Conclusion: There was a significant reduction in the growth of C. albicans after the addition of oil to heat cured acrylic resin which suggests a new oral topical treatment for denture stomatitis.