Biomechanics of oral mucosa

• Published in: Journal of the Royal Society Interface
• Main Author: Chen J.; Ahmad R.; Li W.; Swain M.; Li Q.
• Format: Review
• Language: English
• Published: Royal Society of London 2015
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84940172470&doi=10.1098%2frsif.2015.0325&partnerID=40&md5=f4ddbca8fae5aae346ea06558144d22a

The prevalence of prosthodontic treatment has been well recognized, and the need is continuously increasing with the ageing population. While the oral mucosa plays a critical role in the treatment outcome, the associated biomechanics is not yet fully understood. Using the literature available, this paper provides a critical review on four aspects of mucosal biomechanics, including static, dynamic, volumetric and interactive responses, which are interpreted by its elasticity, viscosity/permeability, apparent Poisson's ratio and friction coefficient, respectively. Both empirical studies and numerical models are analysed and compared to gain anatomical and physiological insights. Furthermore, the clinical applications of such biomechanical knowledge on the mucosa are explored to address some critical concerns, including stimuli for tissue remodelling (interstitial hydrostatic pressure), pressure-pain thresholds, tissue displaceability and residual bone resorption. Through this review, the state of the art in mucosal biomechanics and their clinical implications are discussed for future research interests, including clinical applications, computational modelling, design optimization and prosthetic fabrication. © 2015 The Authors.