Patient response to variations in denture technique. Part V: Microscopic response of the oral mucosa

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of two different denture construction techniques on the maturation of the oral mucosa. Complete maxillary and mandibular dentures were constructed for 64 patients. Half of the subjects received dentures fabricated by a complex technique, and the remaining subjects received dentures fabricated by a standard technique. Cytologic smears were made from four regions of the denture-bearing mucosa at yearly intervals for 5 years following construction of the dentures. The smears were stained by the Papanicolaou technique. Microscopic analysis based on cytologic characteristic revealed no discernible difference between the mucosa of those subjects with dentures constructed via the complex technique and that of those with dentures constructed via the standard technique.