Abstract

From: The 1)epartmeiit of Prosthetic Dcn- tistry (Head : Professor Niels Brill), ‘IXc IIoyal Dental Collc~ge, Copen- Ititgen, 1)cnm:irk. THE EFFECT OF INFLAMMATION ON THE PERMEABILITY OF HUMAN PALATAL EPITHELIUM TO UREA 1) !I Tissue fluid does not readily escape from normal oral epithe- lium except at the gingival pocket. At this site the periiieabiliiy of the epithelium to tissue fluid is increased following iiiechanic:il stiniu1:iLion (Brill, 1959) and also in the presence of clinically detectable inarginnl gingivitis (Brill & Rjiirn, 1959). The present investigation attempts to deterniine whether n siniilar increase in permeability to tissue fluid occurs in the hard p:ilntes of den- lure wearers, these :ireus frcquently being sites of inf1aiiini:itory change. Brill & Bjiirn (1959) used fluorescein sodiuiii as :I tracer in their experinients on the gingival pocket. This is soniewhat toxic, and it W:IS considered preferable to use urea, :I physiologicnlly occurring suhstnnce (Diein 1902). MATERIAL AND METHODS Selection of subjects 19 fenides and 14 inales were selected lor the present study. All subjects were edentulous.Their ages ranged from 35 to 78, their iiiean age heing 58 ye:irs. 18 suhjects h:1d clinically hexlthy pal:it:il 324 K. I<. .II<Wbl..N, \'ll3llil< I.UNI), (;Eltl) TIIYI)l< ANI) G. C.