The split denture: a new technique for artificial saliva reservoirs in mandibular dentures

Xerostomia is a relatively common complaint that can make the wearing of dentures very uncomfortable for affected individuals. To help overcome this problem, a number of techniques have been proposed for incorporating reservoirs, containing salivary substitutes, into dentures. These have had varying degrees of success. This paper presents a case of a patient suffering from xerostomia who was successfully treated with a new form of reservoir denture. This new split-denture technique resulted in a reservoir denture that provided good lubrication of the oral tissues, was easily cleaned by the wearer and was produced from routine denture materials. Details of its design, construction and other potential applications are also presented.