1Assistant Professor, HP Govt Dental College, Shimla, HP
2Ex Principal GDC, Patiala, Punjab, India
3Associate Professor, Govt Dental College, Patiala, Punjab
4BDS. Private Practitioner, Inder Dental Clinic, Sanjauli, Shimla
Fracture of acrylic complete denture poses a challenge to the clinician and remains an unresolved problem. It is characterized by midline fracture in maxillary denture. Among the various factors, effect of the shape of the underlying palate and thickness of the acrylic base on the mechanical strength of denture bases was assessed in this study.
The study was conducted on 48 specimens (casts), comprising of three groups. 16 specimens were made in high palate, 16 in medium and remaining 16 in shallow palate. On eight casts from each palatal form, denture bases were fabricated with half the thickness from rest eight. The fracture test were carried out to calculate the strength of denture bases using Instron universal testing machine and the results were put to statistical analysis.
Medium palate denture bases showed maximum strength, followed by high palate and then shallow plate denture bases. Increase in thickness increased the strength of denture bases with maximum increase was observed in high palate and minimum increase was seen in shallow palate denture bases.
The present study seems to suggest increasing the bulk of material in regions subject to deformation and fracture. The use of thinner metal palates and reinforced acrylic resin denture base materials can be indicated in case of shallow palate dentures, in gaggers.
Palatal form, thermoplastic resin sheets, strength
