AN OVERVIEW OF EXTRAORAL MAXILLOFACIAL PROSTHESIS MATERIALS

Abstract

Unaesthetic maxillofacial defects decreases social acceptance. Prosthetic rehabilitation of facial defects makes the life easier with improved esthetics. Prosthetic restoration of such defects is an ancient art, in which success has always being limited by unavailability of adequate materials. The success of any facial prosthesis depends on the physical and mechanical properties of the material. The rehabilitation of patients requiring not only the replacement of missing body part but also a loss of psychological confidence is a challenging task. Since maxillofacial defects lie on the face, the materials used for fabricating the prosthesis should fulfill a variety of requirements. At present, there is no ideal material which can be universally used. The scope of this article is in providing some background about the evolution and current trends in using these materials.