Denture mobility and bolus position during mastication in patients wearing conventional and pelotte-retained full upper dentures: a cineradiographic study.

With cineradiographic technique an assessment was made of the denture mobility of conventional and pelotte dentures in the upper jaw and of the position of the bolus during chewing of meat and bread. Five randomly selected edentulous patients with moderate alveolar ridge resorption rehabilitated with dentures of conventional design, and another five with dentures furnished with subnasal retentive pelottes, were incorporated in the study. Cineradiographic registrations were made in lateral and frontal projections with a picture frame speed of 38/s. Analysis of the cineradiographic films revealed only small differences for the denture mobility for the two patient groups. This indicated in the patients with severe ridge resorption, an obvious reduction of denture displacement through the use of the nasal pelotte or prong. The displacement was of similar magnitude as for those dentures where an alveolar ridge creates effective retention and limitation of horizontal movements. The analyses of the bolus position during chewing gave the information that in all individuals wearing pelotte dentures, the bolus was positioned more distally, than for patients with conventional dentures. Presumably this was in order to reduce discomfort in the frontal region, i.e. the region of the pelottes. Patients with conventional dentures showed a more even distribution of the bolus to all regions.