The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Shore A hardness and surface roughness of two silicones for maxillofacial prosthetic treatment, under the infl uence of chemical disinfection and storage. Twenty-eight specimens were obtained, half of which were made of Silastic MDX 4-4210 silicone and, the other half were made of Silastic 732 RTV silicone. The specimens were divided into four groups: Silastic 732 RTV and MDX 4-4210 with disinfection 3 times a week with Efferdent tablets and the same materials without disinfection. The hardness of the materials was analyzed with a Shore A Durometer. The surface roughness was established by a digital portable roughness tester, initially and 2 months after the confection of the specimens. A variance test was applied (2-way ANOVA), followed by Tukey test (the level of signifi cance was set at 1%). The storage time factor statistically infl uenced (p < 0.01) the materials' properties of hardness and roughness. MDX 4-4210 (28.59 Shore A, 0.789 Ra) presented higher values than Silastic 732 RTV (18.08 Shore A, 0.656 Ra) for both properties. Regarding the disinfection period, there was no signifi cant difference in any of the materials tested.

No abstract

Color stability of resin and silicone is an important factor for longevity of facial prostheses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the color stability of resins and silicone for facial prostheses. Three brands of acrylic resin and 1 of facial silicone were evaluated considering pigment incorporation for the colorless materials. Ten samples of each material were fabricated and submitted to measurements of chromatic alteration initially and after 252, 504, and 1008 hours of weathering through visual analysis and spectrophotometry. Data were evaluated by analysis of variance and Tukey test (P < 0.05). Results showed a statistically significant difference in color alteration among materials independent of aging. According to visual analysis, the color difference between pigmented and colorless Silastic MDX4-4210 and between pigmented and colorless Classico acrylic resin was statistically significant for the 3 weathering periods. Aging for 1008 hours represented a significant influence on color alteration of all resins. All materials presented chromatic alteration after accelerated artificial aging.

Purpose: The longevity of an ocular prosthesis is directly related to the resistance to erosion of its material. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of chemical disinfection and the method of investment on the microhardness of ocular prosthesis acrylic resin. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two test specimen investments were obtained in two silicones. A segment was cut in each test specimen, and each specimen was fixed in an acrylic disk. The specimens were then polished and submitted to the first microhardness test before immersion in distilled water and incubation for 2 months. During this 2-month period, the specimens were immersed in a water bath at 37• C and were disinfected daily; half were disinfected with neutral soap and the other half were disinfected with 4% chlorhexidine gluconate. After the storage phase and disinfection, a second microhardness test was performed. The surface microhardness values for the acrylic resins were submitted to ANOVA, followed by the Tukey test. Results: The disinfection and the period of storage did not statistically influence the surface microhardness of the acrylic resin, independent of the method of investment of the specimens (Zetalabor or Vipi Sil). The investment of specimens with Zetalabor silicone presented a greater surface hardness, independent of the type of disinfection and the period of storage. Conclusions: Based on these results, we suggest that the microhardness of the resin evaluated was not influenced by the method of disinfection or the time of storage used and was affected only by the investment material.

This study was to evaluate the colour change of soft denture liners after thermocycling and storage in coffee and coke. Four liners, two silicone-based (Sofreliner S and Reline GS) and two acrylic resin-based (Soft Confort and Dentuflex), were evaluated in this study. Ten samples were obtained for each group. After 2000 cycles of thermocycling with baths of 5°C and 55°C, five samples were stored in coffee and the remaining samples in coke. The colour alteration was evaluated in a reflection spectrophotometer before and after thermocycling, and after 1, 3, 24, 48 and 96h of storage in coffee and coke. Data were submitted to anova and Tukey's HSD test (α=0.05). Thermocycling and storage period represented a higher statistically significant influence for the resin liners than for the silicone materials. Coke did not influence the colour stability of the materials during storage. However, the coffee solution generated statistically significant colour alteration in the material Soft Confort. In the comparison between the coffee and coke solutions, there was no statistically significant difference for colour alteration only for the material Dentuflex. The silicone liners presented better colour stability following thermocycling and storage independent of the solution. The coffee solution was a statistically significant factor for colour alteration of the material Soft Confort.