title: Manufacturing implant supported auricular prostheses by rapid prototyping techniques.
abstract: Maxillofacial prostheses are usually fabricated on the models obtained following the impression procedures. Disadvantages of conventional impression techniques used in production of facial prosthesis are deformation of soft tissues caused by impression material and disturbance of the patient due to. Additionally production of prosthesis by conventional methods takes longer time. Recently, rapid prototyping techniques have been developed for extraoral prosthesis in order to reduce these disadvantages of conventional methods. Rapid prototyping technique has the potential to simplify the procedure and decrease the laboratory work required. It eliminates the need for measurement impression procedures and preparation of wax model to be performed by prosthodontists themselves In the near future this technology will become a standard for fabricating maxillofacial prostheses.
authors.affiliation: Istanbul University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Maxillofacial Prosthodontics, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Meltem Ozdemir
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Karatas
authors.forename: Ebru Demet
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Cifter
authors.forename: Didem Ozdemir
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Ozenen
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balik
authors.forename: Erman Bulent
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Tuncer