Objectives

Selection of materials is based on

reconciliation of their biocompatibility

optimum physical and mechanical
properties and where indicated superior
esthetic qualities

To know the clinical efficiency of all

prosthodontic materials

Organised mainly in five sections :

Denture based materials
Denture teeth materials
Lining materials
Denture cleansers
Cast metal alloys

General requirement of biomaterials of

edentulous patient

The material must be biocompatible :

No haramful effects on oral tissues
Nontoxic , non irritant
nonallergic ,noncarcinogenic

The materials must fulfill clinical

objectives
Adequate hardness ,rigidity ,strength ,
High abrasion resistance ,
Adequate thermal properties
Chemical non degradability

Superior esthetic properties

High cleansability
Easy to fabricate and manipulate
Readily available and economical to use
Permits easy and inexpensive maintenance

such as repairs and additions

Denture base materials

Most commonly used materials are polymers such

as poly methyl - methacrylate .

Requirement of ideal denture base :

Biocompatible
Adequate physical and mechanical properties
High flexure and impact strength

High modulus of elasticity for better rigidity

Long fatigue life
High abrasion resistance
High thermal conduivity
Low density
Superior esthetics and color stability
Good adhesion with denture teeth and liners

ADA classification
Type 1 : heat polymerizable ploymer

Classs 1 : powder and liquid

Class 2 : plastic cake

Type 2 : autopolymerizable polymers

Class 1 : powder and liquid

Class 2 : powder and liquid pour type
resins
Type 3 :thermoplastic blank or powder
Type 4 : light activated materials
Type 5 : microwave- cured materials

Heat activated denture

based resins

Chemical composition of denture

based resins
Liquid
Methyl methacrylate plasticizes the polymer
Dibutyl phthalate plasticizer
Glycol dimethacrylate crosslinking agent
Hydroquinone inhibitor

Powder
Poly (methylmethacrylate )
Ethyl or butylmethacrylate
Benzoyl peroxide
Zinc or titanium oxide
Dibutyl phthalate

Polymerization reaction
Achieved by application of heat and

pressure :
Powder +

+ heat

liquid +

heat =

polymer

Technical consideration
Compression molding technique
Injection molding technique
Fliud resin technique
Visible light curing technique

Mixing of powder and liquid

Polymer - monomer proportion : 3:1 by volume or 2:1

by weight

If too much monomer is used

There will be greater curing or polymerization

shrinkage
More time is needed to reach the packing consistency
Porosity can occur in the denture

If too little monomer is used

Not all the polymer beads will be wetted

by monomer and the cured acrylic will

be granular

Dough will be difficult to manage and it

may not fuse into a continuous unit of

plastic during processing

Chemically activated denture based

resins
Known as self curing ,cold cure / auto

polymerizing resins

Uses
For making temporary crowns and FPDs
Construction of special trays
For denture repair, relining , and

rebasing
For adding a post dam to an adjusted
upper denture

Microwave-Activated PMMA
Powder-liquid system
Similar to heat-activated PMMA: with slight

modifications
to
accommodate
microwave activation procedure

the

Light-Activated Resins

Matrix: urethane dimethacrylate ,

microfine silica
Filler: acrylic resin beads
Photo-initiator : camphoroquine - amine
*Only in chemically activated resins.
Poly methyl- methacrylate

Prosthetic denture teeth

Denture teeth are produced in variety of

moulds and shades and are available as

vaccum fried procelain ; acrylic resin ,
modified acrylic and composite resins

Requirement of prosthetics denture

teeth
Durable bond with denture base material
Resistance to oral fluids
High impact strength to withsatand forces

during mastication
High abrasion resistance with little or no

wear to maintain the predetermined vertical

dimension of occlusion and withstand
parafunctional movement

Acrylic teeth
manufactured either by the compression-molded

dough technique or by injection molding.

resins exhibit low creep and flow rates, and

minimum dissolution in solvents

Most resin teeth are highly cross-linked in the

coronal portion to provide resistance to crazing .

A significant advantage of acrylic resin teeth is

that they bond chemically to the denture base

Procelain teeth
material that has been quite popular for

fabrication of denture teeth for many

years.
Porcelain teeth, in general, exhibit

superior esthetic qualities, excellent color

stability, and high abrasion resistance.
They are mechanically attached to resin

bases by means of pins or diatoric holes .

Bonding of porcelain teeth to acrylic

bases has been enhanced by a

combination of micromechanical
retention and chemical bonding.
This is carried out by treating the ridge

lap area of the tooth with an etchant

such as hydrofluoric acid gel, followed by
a silane - coupling agent.

Composite teeth
suitable material for fabrication of denture

teeth.
They contain microfine filler particles of

silica and have demonstrated wear

properties that are clinically acceptable.
Continued improvements in the polymer

structure may facilitate widespread use by

most clinicians in the future .

Property

Acrylic resin teeth

Porcelain teeth

Bond with resin base

Chemical bond

Mechanical via pins or

diatoric holes

Effects on opposing
occlusion

Can oppose natural

teeth or metallic
occlucal surfaces

Abrades opposing tooth

enamel

Mechanical properties

Less brittle than

porcelain

Very brittle/chipping
occurs on impact

Solubility in oral fluid

and dimensional
changes

Insoluble , some
dimensional changes

Insoluble ,inert in oral

fluid ,no dimensional
changes

Maintenance of vertical
dimension

Poor abrasion resistance

, wear is significant
,wear can result in
reduced VDO

Excellent abrasion
resistance hard wear is
insignificant ,VDO tends
to be maintained

Clicking sounds

None on contact with

opposing teeth

Noisy ,clicking occurs

with opposing
porcelian teeth

Esthetics properties

Excellent ,can be
characterized as
required

Excellent ,can be
characterized as
required

Denture lining
materials


used to refit the surfaces of complete dentures

and to help condition traumatized tissues,

providing an interim or permanent cushionlike
effect.
These materials are generally classified into

the following types:

1. Short-term soft liners (tissue
conditioners)
2. Long-term soft liners
Soft denture liners are polymers with a glass

transition temperature (Tg) that is below that

of mouth temperature.

Short-Term Soft Liners (Tissue

Conditioners)
These materials are soft, resilient materials
commonly used as temporary liners and have been
widely used in dentistry

Tissue conditioners are provided mostly as a

powder/liquid system, but preformed sheets of
acrylic gels are also available.

 The powder contains a polymer, a poly ethyl-

methacrylate or its copolymers, and the liquid

contains a mixture of ethyl alcohol (solvent)
and an aromatic ester (dibutyl phthalate),
which acts as a plasticizer that lowers the Tg
of the polymer rendering it a soft gel.
The gelation of tissue conditioners is a

physical process, which is devoid of any

chemical reaction or any monomeric
substances that could cause tissue irritation.

Indications for Short-Term Soft

Liners/Tissue Conditioners
1. Treatment and conditioning of abused/irritated
denture supporting tissues lining ill-fitting dentures
allows the tissues to rest and regain their health prior
to impression making for new dentures

2. For provisional adjunctive/diagnostic purposes such

as recovery of the vertical dimension of occlusion and
correcting occlusion of old prosthesis; also to assess
the necessity of using a permanent soft liner for
patients with chronic pain or soreness associated
with denture wearing

3. Temporary relining of immediate

dentures/
immediate surgical splints
4. Relining cleft palate speech aids
5. Tissue-conditioning during implant
healing
6. Functional impression materials

Long-Term Soft Liners

Long-term/permanent soft liners are mostly

used as a therapeutic measure for patients

who cannot tolerate the stresses induced by
dentures.
Used in patients with sharp, thin, or heavily

resorbed ridges or those with severe bony

undercuts .

The liner permits wider dispersion of

forces and absorption of impact forces

that are involved in functional and
parafunctional movements.

Materials available as permanent soft

liners include plasticized acrylics,

silicone rubber, plastpolymers ,
polyphosphazine ; fluoropolymers,
fluoroethylene, and polyvinyl siloxane

A Comparison of the Properties of

Plasticized Acrylics versus Silicone
Rubber
Plasticized Acrylics

Silicone Rubber

Less resilient

Highly resilient

Hardens by

Retains softness

time/loss of
plasticizer
Good durable bond

with denture base

and elasticity
Low bond strength

to acrylic base,
particularly
RTV silicones

More resistant to

growth of Candida
albicans
Acceptable tear

strength
Better abrasion

resistance
Reasonable

resistance to damage
by denture
cleanser

More susceptible to

growth of C. albicans/
other microorganisms
Low tear strength
Low abrasion

resistance
Less resistant to

damage by cleansers
particularly RTV
silicones

Dental cleanser
Maintenance of adequate denture hygiene,

through mechanical or chemical methods, or

both, is essential to minimize and preferably
eliminate adverse tissue reactions.

It must be an integral component of post

insertion patient care.

Denture

cleansing
materials
and
techniques include mechanical brushing,
the use of chemical cleansers, or both.

Commonly available denture cleansing

materials
include
(1)
oxygenating
cleansers,
(2)
alkaline
hypochlorite
solutions, (3) dilute mineral acids, (4)
abrasive powders and pastes, and (5)
enzyme-containing materials (proteases)

Chemical dental cleanser

Oxygenating Cleansers Alkaline

peroxides are
provided in powder and tablet forms. The
material
contains alkaline compounds, detergents,
sodium
perborate, and flavoring agents
Hypochlorite Solutions Diluted

household
bleaches (sodium hypochlorites) are

Other
Techniques/Materials
Ultrasonic units provide vibrations that can be used

to clean dentures
Dilute acids (citric acid, isopropyl

alcohol,hydrochloric acid, or plain household

vinegar) are available to remove obstinate deposits.
Denture cleansers containing enzymes (mutanese

and protease)
Other materials and techniques include the use of

silicone polymers.

Cast metal alloys as denture base

A variety of metals and metal alloys

have been
used as complete denture bases.
The materials of choice include cast

base metal alloys:

nickel-chromium,
cobalt chromium
nickel, and
more recently titanium alloys

Advantages
High thermal conductivity

Disadvantages
Greater technical costs

Increased tissue

tolerance
Reduced bulk across the

palate creates more

tongue space/increased
comfort to patient

Dimensional

stability/increased
accuracy of fit of the
denture base

Difficulty of rebasing and

relining metal/currently
facilitated with
adhesives
Less margin of error

permissible in the
posterior palate seal
area
Increased weight for a

maxillary denture

Advantages
Superior biocompatibility of titanium

bases
Stronger bases that withstand high

masticatory stresses
Increased weight, enhances stability of a

mandibular denture

 relatively thin metal base is cast to

contact the denture-bearing mucosa

surface, covering the whole palate,
providing superior fit and comfort to the
patient.
Acrylic resin is used to retain the

denture teeth and provide buccal/labial

flanges that enhance the esthetic quality
of the denture.

The processed acrylic resin is attached

to the cast metal base by a retentive

meshwork.

The acrylic resin and metal meet at a

definite finish line to ensure a strong

butt junction

Conclusion
The premise in preparing this review chapter is

that dentists should possess sufficient

knowledge of the
properties of the different prosthodontic
materials they deal with so that they can
exercise prudent

This knowledge should be preferably based on

evidence-based information plus large scale,

long-term clinical trials to ensure treatment
efficacy and effectiveness.

References
Prosthodontic treatment for edentulous

patient : zarb bolender

Philips dental materials