[Mixed and palatal salivary secretion in denture-wearing healthy people and in patients with Sjogren syndrome].

Denture retention is related to forces necessary to completely remove the denture from its basal seat. The liquid-joint model for explaining denture retention is accepted by most of the authors. According to this model retentive force is a function of saliva surface tension, liquid film thickness, surface of contact and the liquid-denture contact angle. Based upon the literature, mucosa covered with the least amount of saliva exists at the area of the palate and the upper lip, consequently at the area of the upper denture retention. Dryness is dependent on the volume of saliva present on the oral mucous membranes and the rate of its evaporation of them. However, the hard palate contains few minor glands and it is an area of high evaporation. Based on the above mentioned facts, patients with xerostomia might have problems with the stability of the complete dentures. To verify it, authors investigated 24 healthy people and 11 patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Further aim of the authors was to determine how the new dentures influence the whole resting and the palatal saliva flow rate. According to the results whole resting saliva flow rate is decreased in SS because of the focal inflammation of the salivary glands, but surprisingly the palatal secretion rate does not change in SS related to the initial values of the healthy people. Although every patient had xerostomia (WRS < or = 0.1 ml/min), none of them complained about denture instability. Based upon this study, authors agree with the statement of the literature, that palatal mucous saliva can help to stabilize the maxillary denture. Results suggest that whole resting and palatal saliva flow rates are not influenced by the placement of new dentures in healthy complete denture wearers.