Fabrication of a functional palatal saliva reservoir by using a resilient liner during processing of a complete denture.

One of the major problems associated with xerostomic patients is the poor tolerance and retention of removable dental prostheses because of thin dry atrophic mucosa and lack of a saliva film. The use of salivary substitutes can improve lubrication, provide irrigation for dry mucosa, provide significant relief from symptoms, and also improve the retention of removable prostheses. These substitutes can be delivered over prolonged periods by using saliva reservoirs in the prosthesis itself. This report describes a novel technique for the fabrication of a functional palatal saliva reservoir in edentulous xerostomic patients. The technique uses a resilient liner in the floor of the reservoir. The tongue presses against the liner during swallowing, resulting in flow of saliva substitute through a hole in the anterior part of the floor of the reservoir.