This investigation was carried out to know whether an accurate estimation could be made on the success or failure of dentures by understanding the relationship between tissue thickness and clinical symptoms. Thickness measurements were made by our ultrasonic method on 35 maxillary and mandibular mucosa sites in 100 completely edentulous subjects, and 26 sites in 30 dentate subjects.
Results:
1. In upper edentulous group, the thinnest sites were 1.81 mm in the center of the palate and 1.69 mm in the labial regions ; the thickest sites were 5.81 mm in the rear sides of the palate. Individual differences in the rear of the palate and incisive papilla were large. The dentate appeared similar.
2. Mandibular regions of both were thinner than maxillary regions. Gingival regions in the edentulous were thicker than surrounding regions.
3. In the gingival regions, connection existed between the upper and lower thicknesses.
4. Principal component analysis was made to divide edentulous regions. The upper jaw was divided into palate and gingival. The palate regions had four divisions, while the gingival regions had two.
5. Thickness varied with age, sex, period of denture using, flabbiness and torus.
6. Discrimirient analysis was performed to determine usefulness in estimating clinical symptoms, An accurate estimation of success or failure was possible with a rate of 67% in upper retention, upper prognosis 72%, lower retention 65%, lower pain 65%.
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