Physiological reactions of the denture-bearing mucosa following mechanical stress

The mucosa of the edentulous ridges and the hard palate is used to bear denture bases. While the etiology of mucosal disorders caused by material and microbiological factors is well known, the effects of mechanical stress on denture bearing mucosa are comparatively unexplored. To learn more about reactions of compensation against mechanical stress of the denture bearing mucosa we studied physiology of the tissues covering the alveolar ridge and the hard palate. We took non-invasive measurements of the concentration and oxygenation of hemoglobin in several places of the mucosa by using a micro-lightguide spectrophotometer (EMPHO). On this occasion the magnitude and duration of the force, the frequency of the loading and the interval of rest have been varied. The result was that the concentration of hemoglobin decreased significantly inside the mucosa when the denture bearing mucosa was stressed already by a slight but constant compression load. However, a total ischemia was not seen even in great mechanical loads. After the stress ended a reactive hyperemia took place spontaneously.