Title:Selected Applications for Current Polymers in Prosthetic Dentistry - State of the Art
Volume: 25
Issue: 42
Author(s): Maciej Kawala, Joanna Smardz, Lukasz Adamczyk, Natalia Grychowska and Mieszko Wieckiewicz*
Affiliation:
- Department of Experimental Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw,Poland
Keywords:
Polymers, prosthetic dentistry, impression materials, denture base materials, bite registration materials,
denture soft liners, occlusal splint materials, 3D printing.
Abstract: Background: Polymers have wide applications in medicine, including dentistry, i.e.
in prosthetic dentistry.
Aim: The following paper is aimed at demonstrating the applications of selected modern
polymers in prosthetic dentistry based on the reported literature.
Material and Methods: The study was conducted using the PubMed, SCOPUS and CINAHL
databases in relation to documents published during 1999–2017. The following keywords were
used: polymers with prosthetic dentistry, impression materials, denture base materials, bite
registration materials, denture soft liners, occlusal splint materials and 3D printing. Original
papers and reviews which were significant from the modern clinical viewpoint and practical
validity in relation to the possibility of using polymeric materials in prosthetic dentistry were
presented.
Results: Denture base materials were the most commonly modified polymers. Modifications
mainly concerned antimicrobial properties and reinforcement of the material structure by introducing
additional fibers. Antimicrobial modifications were also common in case of relining
materials.
Conclusion: Polymeric materials have widely been used in prosthetic dentistry. Modifications
of their composition allow achieving new, beneficial properties that affect the quality of patients’
life. Progress in science allows for a more methodologically-advanced research on the
synthesis of new polymeric materials and incorporation of new substances into already known
polymeric materials, that will require systematization and appropriate classification.
