Introduction. A good salivary function is an important factor for the success of complete denture restoration, as a frequent prosthetic rehabilitation option for elderly individuals. Aim. To assess the imbalances of salivary parameters frequently attributed to this category, and to determine to what extent the elevated temperature developed by the denture-bearing mucosa in cases of denture stomatitis (DS) may have effects on salivary flow and pH values. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 53 elderly maxillary denture wearers divided into 2 groups, according to the presence of DS in the maxillary mucosa. Salivary parameters were investigated using the Saliva-Check Buffer (GC), while the temperature of the denture-bearing mucosa was evaluated by infrared thermography with ThermaCam PM350 (FLIR). Results and disscusion. In patients with DS, a significantly lower salivary pH was registered (6.54 vs 7.11), as well as lower salivary flow rates (0.80 ml/sec vs 1.48 ml/sec), compared to patients with unaffected mucosa. Both salivary parameters exhibited a significant inversely proportional correlation with the temperature of the maxillary mucosa. Conclusions. Salivary deficiencies in elderly denture wearers should not always be attributed to the normal process of aging. Increase in the temperature of the denture-bearing mucosa, due to an infectious-inflammatory process, such as that present in DS, may impact the mentioned salivary parameters, by decreasing their values.
Keywords:- denture-bearing mucosa
- elderly patients
- endentulous
- infrared thermography
- saliva