Fluctuations in the Blood Pressure during Impression Taking of the Upper Edentulous Jaw of the Elderly

Seven elderly edentulous patients without cardiovascular disorders were used in this study, and changes in the blood pressure were examined during impression taking for complete dentures. Blood pressure was measured continuously both during border molding and during final impression using a uninvasive continuous blood pressure monitoring system based on arterial tonometry. 1. During border molding, systolic blood pressure increased in some subjects (elevation group) but not in others (non-elevation group). 2. There was no difference in changes in the blood pressure among various sites of border molding. 3. Elevation of the blood pressure was greater in all subjects during final impression than during border molding. The mean increasing rate was 24.1%. It was suggested that impression taking greatly affects blood pressure in elderly edentulous patients.