What are the problems with PMMA in dental applications?

Although PMMA(polymethyl methacrylate) has a wide range of applications and many advantages in dental applications, there are also some problems, which mainly include the following aspects:

First, insufficient mechanical properties

Hardness and bending strength: The hardness, bending strength, toughness and elastic modulus of PMMA are relatively insufficient, which can cause the denture to break easily during use.

Wear resistance: The wear resistance of PMMA is relatively poor, and the denture base may affect its service life and effect due to wear after a long time of use.

Second, the color stability problem

After prolonged use, PMMA denture bases may change color due to environmental factors (such as chemicals in the mouth, food residues, etc.), which will affect the aesthetics of the denture and patient acceptance.

Third, aging and degradation

PMMA denture base may be affected by water adsorption, temperature fluctuations and other factors in the oral environment, resulting in changes in its performance, such as bending and impact strength reduction.

After prolonged use, PMMA may degrade, which affects its service life and effectiveness.

Fourth, repair and replace problems

Due to the relatively poor mechanical properties of PMMA denture base, once damaged, it is relatively difficult to repair. This can lead to patients needing to replace dentures more frequently, increasing the cost and inconvenience of use.

Fifth, the antibacterial performance is limited

PMMA itself does not have strong antibacterial properties, which can lead to the growth of bacteria during the use of dentures, which can lead to oral diseases or infections.

Sixth, the scope of application restrictions

PMMA denture base is more suitable for those patients who have certain missing teeth, as well as those who need a full or partial denture. PMMA may not be the best choice for people who have more teeth defects and need to withstand greater chewing force.

In summary, although PMMA has a wide range of applications and many advantages in dental applications, there are also problems such as insufficient mechanical properties, color stability problems, aging and degradation, repair and replacement problems, limited antibacterial properties, and limited scope of application. In response to these problems, researchers are constantly exploring and improving new materials and new technologies to improve the performance and effectiveness of PMMA in dental applications.