The role of saliva in retention of maxillary complete dentures.

In this study maxillary denture retention was influenced by the salivary volume between the denture base and the mucous membrane. An optimum intervening salivary volume, at which the greatest retention was developed, was also observed. It was observed from determination of electric resistance of palatal mucous membrane that inward and outward flow of intervening saliva was greater in the denture with poor retention than in the one with good retention. Moreover, when the salivary volume between the denture base and mucous membrane was optimum the salivary flow under the denture was minimum.