High impact acrylics
The cost to the NHS for repairing fractured dentures in England and Wales between 1992 and 2002 was 5 million pounds. Although the expenditure trend was going down slightly during these 10 years, probably due to improvements in composition and processing techniques, the repair cost is so enormous that the problem deserves to be paid more attention.
At Sheffield we are undertaking research to optimize the processing variables and production methods for dentures. This work is leading to the reproducible manufacture of dentures with improved biaxial flexural strength (BFS), which correlates to improvements in reliability and durability in service.
Experimental work is also being carried out into new polymer formulations, notably to assess the effect of silicone fluid inclusion into denture base material on BFS.
Above right: Photograph of a sample undergoing a biaxial flexural strength test.
Researchers engaged in this work are: Dr. Tony Johnson, Touraj Nejatian and Prof. Richard van Noort.