Effect of Oil Paint Addition on Porosity of Scleral Part of Acrylic Ocular Prosthesis

Abstract

Background: white acrylic resins are widely used for fabrication of scleral part of ocular prostheses to restore acquired or congeni- tal ocular defects. However, such materials are not available in the local markets. Several additive materials, hence, must be applied to the prosthesis to match the colour of natural eye. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of adding titanium dioxide oil paints to scleral part of ocular prosthesis on its porosity. Methods: there were 20 samples in total. The first group was fabricated without addition of oil paint and considered as control. The second group was constructed from heat cured acrylic resin with addition of oil paint in a concentration of 1 ml. A surface area of 1cm 2 was limited in the center of each specimen &observed under optical microscopy and numbers of pores per area was manually determined. All values were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and comparison between 2 groups was obtained using inde- pendent t test. Results: there was an increase in the mean values of porosity following addition of oil paint. The control group presented a lower mean value of porosity compared to experimental group. however, no significant differences between control and TiO 2 group where P >0.05. Conclusion: the incorporation of titanium dioxide into clear acrylic resin increases its ' porosity .