Selected Applications for Current Polymers in Prosthetic Dentistry - State of the Art

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.

Keywords: 3D printing; Polymers; bite registration materials; denture base materials; denture soft liners; impression materials; occlusal splint materials; prosthetic dentistry..