Design and properties of maxillofacial prosthetic materials.
Maxillofacial reconstruction by prosthetic means is a valuable contribution that medicine offers to the public.  Materials design and properties are the main problems faced by scientists in this field. Materials used for intraoral prostheses are not ideal, but they have been perfected to the point of practical use.  Denture resins, gold, chromium-cobalt alloys, and porcelain are widely used and produce acceptable results in the oral cavity.  In this review, the properties and performance of some polymeric materials used in maxillofacial prosthetics are discussed, and new trends in research and development are also reported.
National Technical University of Athens, Greece.
A G
AG
Andreopoulos
T
T
Theophanides
D006801:Humans; D007840:Latex / Q000737:chemistry; D008447:Maxillofacial Prosthesis; D008768:Methylmethacrylates / Q000737:chemistry; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000737:chemistry; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012826:Silicone Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry; D014753:Vinyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry