J. Lester Matthews

Effects of Temperature Change on Mandibular Blood Flow

A number of investigators have demonstrated that heat may augment the flow of blood in peripheral areas. Conversely, cold has been routinely utilized to reduce blood flow in peripheral areas. Flax, Miller, and Horvath,1 using diathermic heating of tissues, reported four types of responses resulting from its application. Richardson, Imig, Feucht, and Hines2 believed that the response depended on the magnitude of heating and the blood-flow rate prior to heating. Feucht, Richardson, and Hines3 found that the application of single hot packs resulted in small temperature elevations and caused slight or inconsistent increases in blood flow. However, repeated application of hot packs increased blood flow concomitantly with increase in subcutaneous temperature. Kemp, Paul, and Hines4 reported that microwaves significantly increased blood flow in the periphery but that results with other heating methods were more variable. The common use of heat therapy and the paucity of experimental evidence on the mechanism of action of heat and cold in oral tissues suggest the importance of determining the effect that these two therapeutic agents have on blood flow, blood pressure, and peripheral resistance in the mandibular regions.