The purpose of this study was to assess whether frequent exposure to sucrose would aggravate or initiate a palatal candidosis in denture wearers. Eight subjects with generalized simple or granular inflammation in the palate (inflammation group) and six with clinically healthy palatal mucosa (control group) carried out 1-min mouthrinses with 10 ml of a 25% sucrose solution four times daily for 15 d. In the inflammation group an aggravated palatal erythema was seen in two subjects after 7 d, and in another subject after 15 d. Among the controls a generalized simple inflammation had developed in the palate of one subject after 7 d, and in another one after 15 d. An increased number of yeast colonies on palatal and denture agar models and/or hyphae on palatal and denture smears was found in all subjects with clinical signs of aggravated or initiated denture stomatitis.