A study of the palatal keratinization levels beneath complete acrylic resin dentures

Abstract EN

Objective: To study the structural response of the palatal epithelium to the fitting of new complete maxillary acrylic dentures in a group of subjects over a six-month period.

Methods: Twenty-five edentulous subjects, 13 females, and 12 males had new acrylic dentures fabricated by standard procedures in the prosthetic department of the Institute of Dental Surgery, London.

Exfoliative cytology was used to collect surface cells from the lateral wall of the palate in the region of the second premolar.

Pressure sensitive tape was employed to sample each subject at insertion of the dentures and after periods of one week and one, three and six months.

Each sample was fixed in 95% ethyl alcohol, stained, and examined in a light microscope.

About 200-350 epithelial cells were counted in each sample and the numbers of fully keratinized, non-nucleated cells were recorded to calculate the degree of keratinization.

Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test.

Results: A significant difference (p<0.05) in keratinization levels was found between the male and female subjects.

The mean percentage keratinization at insertion was 41.9% for males and 81% for females.

After six months of wearing the new dentures the mean percentage keratinization was 30.4% for males and 87.8% for females.

Conclusion: The wearing of complete maxillary acrylic dentures disturbs the denture supporting epithelium of the palatal mucosa.

The mean levels of keratinization of male and female subjects vary significantly, and showed periodic increases and decreases in individual subjects over a six-month period.