Chemical interaction of stains on polymethylmethacrylate used for maxillofacial prosthesis: A spectroscopic analysis

Abstract

Background : Acrylic maxillofacial prosthesis made in our country fades quickly, and the effect of stains on polymer has not been documented yet. Aim :To find out a stain material that can retain its color in acrylic for a long period, by assessing its chemical interaction with the parent material. Materials and Methods : Wax cubes (2 cm x 2 cm) were made, flasked and dewaxed. The dewaxed mold was packed with stained heat cure acrylic resin (Acrylan-H). To the monomer the following stains were added - stains used for fabric painting, glass paint, acrylic emulsion, cotton dye, and hosiery dye. They were grouped into II, III, IV, V and VI, respectively. Group I, without stain, was control. Scrapings were taken from each group and subjected to infrared spectroscopy. Results : The spectrograph of glass paint, acrylic emulsion, and hosiery dye showed changes, while stains used for fabric painting and cotton dye did not produce much change in the spectrograph. Conclusion : Glass paint, acrylic emulsion and hosiery dye belong to the organic group of dyes, while stains used for fabric painting and cotton dye belong to group of inorganic dyes. As inorganic dye can retain the shade for a longer period, it is better to use an inorganic group of dyes.