The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prosthodontic usefulness of laser doppler flowmetric (LDF) measurement of the blood flows in gingival and palatal mucosae and skins overlying the masseter muscle and temporomandibular joint.
High reproducibility was obtained in the LDF measurement of the blood flows at these sites.
The gingival mucosal blood flow (GBF) was increased by application of a cold or hot stimulus and decreased by clenching. It was also decreased by experimentally produced gingivitis. GBF was found to be correlated to the volume of gingival groove fluid which was measured simultaneously.
The palatal mucosal blood flow (PBF) was increased transiently by application of a cold or hot stimulus and decreased by impression. It was also decreased by attachment of an experimental palatal plate.
The skin blood flow over the masseter muscle (MBF) was increased by clenching. No significant change was observed in MBF by chewing of gum. The skin blood flow over the temporomandibular joint (TBF) underwent no change by irradiation of soft laser beam or application of a topical antiinflammatory agent. Both MBF and TBF were decreased by pulsing from a myomonitor.
These results suggested that LDF is useful in the field of prosthodontics as a method for measurement of blood flows.