Histological features of the palatal mucosa in denture sore mouth. Densities of mast cells in the lamina propria and histological features in the epithelium of the denture bearing and non-denture bearing human palatal mucosa in comparison with patients suffering from denture sore mouth.

A histological investigation was carried out on biopsy specimens taken from patients suffering from denture sore mouth. The results were compared with those obtained in previous investigations on denture and non-denture-wearers. The sections were studied by standardized quantitative morphometric methods. After 4 years the denture bearing palatal epithelium from both groups, the denture wearers and the patients suffering from a denture sore mouth did not show changes in mean thickness of the epithelium from both groups, the denture wearers and the patients suffering from a denture sore mouth did not show changes in mean thickness of the epithelium compared with the controls. The mitotic index in denture bearing epithelium from patients suffering from denture sore mouth was three times lower than in the epithelium of the normal denture wearers. The three groups of patients investigated did not show differences in density of mast cells in the lamina propria of their palatal epithelium.