Methods: 29 patients (15 denture-wearers,14 controls) were included (mean age:67.4±4.02; and 66,3±5.2 years, respectively). UWS was collected with the “spitting” method. Patients were asked to refrain from smoking, eating, and drinking for 2 hours prior to the test session. Palatal and labial saliva flow rates were measured separately, by filter paper discs of previously measured weight, placed bilaterally in the region of the maxillary first molars, 15 mm from the edentulous ridge and in the middle of the lower labial mucosa, 15 mm from the vestibular sulcus. Collection was carried out for 30 seconds. Measuring vessels and paper discs were weighed before and after each collection with an electronic scale. Separate saliva samples from the same mucosal sites were determined by the PERIOTRON® method.
Results: Weighing method: removable-denture-wearers: palatal-right side: 2.4±3.3 µl/min/cm2, palatal-left side: 1.0±3.8 µl/min/cm2, labial: 1.4±2.6 µl/min/cm2; controls: palatal-right side: 3.7±5.2 µl/min/cm2, palatal-left side 1.4±2.5 µl/min/cm2, labial: 1.8±3.9 µl/min/cm2; UWS flow rates: 0.32±0.26 ml/min and 0.29±0.24 ml/min respectively. Results of the PERIOTRON® method: denture-wearers: palatal-right side:4.0±4.6µl/min/cm2, palatal-left side:3.5±3.6µl/min/cm2, labial:0.9±0.6 µl/min/cm2; controls: palatal-right side:2.2±3.1µl/min/cm2, palatal left-side:1.8±1.8 µl/min/cm2; labial:1.9±3 µl/min/cm2. None of the results differed significantly by the paired Student's t-test between the two groups or methods.
Conclusions: This study revealed that neither UWS nor the minor salivary gland (palatal/labial) flow rate was significantly influenced by long term removable denture wearing. There was no difference between the weighing method and the PERIOTRON® method employed in the measurement of the minor salivary gland flow rates.