AN EVALUATION OF THE SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS OF A FACIAL PROSTHETIC ELASTOMER .1. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS OF DENTAL MATERIALS WITH MAXILLOFACIAL PROSTHETIC APPLICATION

Silicone elastomers are used to construct a wide variety of maxillofacial prostheses and appliances. These applications dictate that an elastomer-tissue interface is present. The behavior of this interface will vary according to the method of retention of the prosthesis, the nature of the tissue surface, and whether the prosthesis is externally applied or occupies an intratissue location. Understanding the behavior of the silicone-tissue interface is consequently important. Part I of this series of three articles is a review of the literature on the surface characteristics of dental materials with maxillofacial prosthetic application. The review considers surface texture, indentation hardness, wettability, and reaction of tissues to surface texture of restorative materials. © 1990 The C. V. Mosby Company.