The initial histopathological change in denture supporting tissue caused by covering with denture base without mechanical pressure for the palate of a rat was studied.
The purpose of this study was to reveal the relationship between the histopathological changes and three causative factors: non-pressure contact of denture base with palatal tissue, lack of physiological stimulation and lack of self-cleaning for palatal tissue.
The experimental denture base was designed to contact the palatal tissue of rat without any mechanical pressure and to transmit no occlusal force to the denture supporting tissue. The palatal tissue was examined histopathologically 4, 7, 10 and 14 days after the insertion of the denture base.
From the results of this study, it was revealed that non-pressure contact of denture base with palatal tissue and lack of physiological stimulation would not cause any inflammatory change or bone resorption in the denture supporting tissues except for the transient slight proliferative reaction in the epithelial ridges. Lack of self-cleaning for palatal tissue, on the contrary, was revealed to cause deformation of some epithelial ridges, decrease of the thickness of lamina propria mucosae in places and bone resorption.