The flow rate of whole and submandibular/sublingual gland saliva in patients receiving replacement complete dentures

Abstract

Provision of complete dentures to a new denture wearer increases the salivary flow rate is well known. The new dentures act as an additional mechanical stimulus to the salivary reflexes, thus increasing the flow rate. The purpose of this study was to determine whether replacing complete dentures would elicit the same response. Unstimulated and stimulated whole and submandibular/sublingual (SM/SL) saliva were collected before inserting complete replacement dentures and again after 2 days and after 3 weeks of denture wearing. Unstimulated whole salivary flow rate increased significantly 2 days after inserting replacement dentures, decreasing at 3 weeks but remaining significantly above the baseline. Stimulated whole salivary flow rate increased significantly after 2 days but decreased to normal after 3 weeks. Stimulated and unstimulated SM/SL salivary flow rate increased significantly after 2 days, decreasing at 3 weeks while remaining significantly above the values found before denture insertion.