Surface temperature of oral tissues. A review.

The storage of heat in the human body is regulated by a meticulous physiological control of heat production and heat loss. The heat regulation of the dentition and in particular of the pulp tissue is still disputed. Several methods have been used for measuring the surface temperature of the oral tissues. Until now a thermocouple seems to have been the easiest instrument to use for this purpose. Although there is a lack of information about environmental and testing conditions, an approximation of the surface temperatures of the dentition (30-35 degrees C) and soft tissues (32-37 degrees C) has been made based on a literature review.