Evaluation of the efficacy of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in the treatment of denture stomatitis associated with Candida albicans

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) in users of removable complete dentures with denture stomatitis (DS) associated with Candida albicans. Methods: This systematic review included studies published between 2015 and 2025 in Portuguese and English. The guiding research question was: Does antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) show significant efficacy in reducing Candida albicans colonization and improving clinical signs and symptoms in patients with denture stomatitis (DS)? The search was conducted in the PubMed, Lilacs, MedLine, Livivo, and SciELO databases, as well as in the gray literature through Google Scholar and OpenGrey, using the descriptors “Stomatitis”, “Photodynamic Therapy” and “Candida albicans” combined with the Boolean operator “AND.” Results: After applying the eligibility criteria, six randomized clinical trials were selected that compared aPDT with pharmacological therapies. The results demonstrated that aPDT is equivalent to, and in some cases superior to traditional treatments, despite variability in protocols. Final considerations: The studies indicate that aPDT demonstrates significant efficacy in reducing fungal colonies and improving the clinical signs and symptoms of denture stomatitis (DS).