Phytotherapy in the management of denture stomatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Medicinal plant extracts are commonly applied for infectious diseases and are perceived as alternatives to conventional antimicrobial agents. We aimed to confirm the efficacy of phytotherapy for denture stomatitis compared with conventional therapies and placebo. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), Scopus, and Web of Science, in addition to manual searching. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English, and studying the treatment of denture stomatitis with herbal medicines, were included. The outcome measures included the relief of clinical signs, reduced Candida colony counts, adverse effects, and patient satisfaction. Nineteen RCTs were included for a systematic review based on selection criteria. Two of them were analyzed using a random-effects model. There was no difference in the relief of clinical signs (odds ratio (OR) = 0.96; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.43-2.15) and microbiological improvement (OR = 1.74; 95% CI: 0.55-5.45) between propolis and miconazole. Most of the included studies showed that phytomedicines had fewer side effects and more patient satisfaction than antifungals or disinfectants. However, further RCTs with more standardly prepared herbal formulations are required to verify the clinical efficacy of phytotherapy as an alternative or adjunctive therapy for denture stomatitis.