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Denture Base Polymers

Dr. Affan Ahmad


Denture
An articial substitute for missing natural teeth
and adjacent tissues.
Denture Base
The part of a denture that rests on the
foundation tissues and to which teeth are
attached.
Denture Base Material
Any substance of which a denture base may be
made.
Polymer
A chemical compound consisting of large organic
molecules built by repetition of smaller
monomeric units
Resin
A broad term used to describe natural or
synthetic substances that form plastic materials
after polymerization.
Materials Used
Carved Ivory
Carved wood
Vulcanite
Highly crossed linked Acrylics
Requirements of denture
base polymers
Should be capable of matching the appearance
of the natural oral soft tissues.
Should have a value of glass transition
temperature (Tg) which is high enough to prevent
softening and distortion during use.
Should have good dimensional stability in order
that the shape of the denture does not change
over a period of time.
Should have a low value of specific gravity in
order that dentures should be as light as
possible.
Should have a high value of thermal conductivity would
enable the denture wearer to maintain a healthy oral
mucosa and to retain a normal reaction to hot and cold
stimuli.
Should be radiopaque.
A high value of modulus of elasticity is advantageous
and is also desirable.
Should have sufficient flexural strength to resist
fracture.
Should have an adequate fatigue life and a high value of
fatigue limit.
The ability of a denture base to resist fracture is a
function of the impact strength of the material.
Should have sufficient abrasion resistance to prevent
excessive wear of material by abrasive denture cleansers
or foodstuffs.
Should be chemically inert.
Should be insoluble in oral fluids.
Should not absorb water or saliva since this
may alter the mechanical properties of the
material and cause the denture to become
unhygienic.
Should not be harmful to the technician
involved in its handling.
The set denture base material should be
nontoxic and non-irritant to the patient.
Water sorption > Base should not be able to
sustain the growth of bacteria or fungi.
Should be relatively inexpensive and have a
long shelf life so that material can be
purchased in bulk and stored without
deteriorating.
The material should be easy to manipulate
and fabricate.
Cheap processing equipment.
Should be easy to repair.
The material of choice?
Acrylic resin (polymethyl methacrylate) PMMA
Why?
Desirable qualities reasons why it is used nowadays- :
Good esthetics
Cheap
Easy to process & use
Disadvantages:
Not strong enough especially impact strength (denture fall accidentally
and it is broken easily)
Susceptible to distortion with time
Low thermal conductivity leads to the pt frequently burning the mucosa
as they dont actually feeling the heat immediately.
Radiolucent > so they include opacifiers to the composition to make it
radio-opaque.
Classification of denture base polymers according to ISO 1567.

Type Class Description

1 1 Heat-processing polymers, powder and liquid


1 2 Heat-processed (plastic cake)
2 1 Autopolymerised polymers, powder and liquid
2 1 Autopolymerised polymers (powder and liquid
pour type resins)
3 Thermoplastic blank or powder
4 Light-activated materials
5 Microwave-cured material
Composition of Heat cured Material
Powder:
Beads or granules of PMMA so they are already polymerized not monomers.
Initiator: benzoyl peroxide
Pigments
Opacifiers: titanium/zinc oxide to make it radio-opac
Plasticiser: dibutyl phthalate to make the material softer, added flexibility.
Synthetic fibers: nylon/acrylic to look like blood vessels small blood vessels-
to give the gingiva a natural appearance.
Liquid:
Methyl methacrylate monomer
Cross-linking agent: ethylene glycol dimethacrylate. This component improves
mechanical properties add strength.
Inhibitor: Hydroquinone
Composition of Self cured Material
Powder
Polymer: Polymethylmethacrylate beads
Initiator: A peroxide such as benzoyl peroxide
(approximately 0.5%)
Pigments Salts of cadmium or iron or organic dyes
Liquid
Monomer: Methylmethacrylate
Cross-linking agent: Ethylene glycol dimethacrylate
(approximately 10%)
Inhibitor: Hydroquinone (trace)
Activator: N N-dimethyl-p-toluidine (approximately 1%)
Processing
Mixing and curing (heat curing materials)
Powder/liquid ratio of 2.5 : 1 by weight
If the powder/liquid ratio is too high
the mix becomes dry .
unmanageable
will not flow when placed under pressure in the gypsum mould.
Very high powder/liquid ratio
Evaporation of monomer (if container is not
covered by lid.
>Granular porosity > blotchy, opaque surface.

sandy
stringy
doughy
rubbery
hard
Packing
Two part gypsum mould
Contraction porosity.
Insufficient dough
Insufficient pressure
Curing
Water bath or air owen
Curing Cycle
Heat the flask containing dough for seven hours
at 70oC
Three hours at 100oC.
The final three hours at 100oC
Modified acrylic materials
To improve the impact strength
acrylic elastomer copolymer
e.g. methylmethacrylate-butadiene
methylmethacrylate-butadiene-styrene
To improve fatigue resistance
Fiber reinforcement >
Carbon fiber inserts, aramid, polyethylene and glass
fibres.
Polypara-phenylene terephthlalamide can be woven to
produce a commercial material (Kevlar).
To improve radioopacity
Barium sulphate

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