19th century denture base materials revisited.

Dentistry in the 19th century witnessed the development of a variety of denture base materials, the aim being to find a suitable substitute for the expensive and technique-sensitive noble metal denture bases. The century was marked by the introduction of natural and plastic materials for use as denture bases. Naturally-occurring materials, especially vulcanite, enjoyed great popularity for over 100 years. This article makes an attempt to summarize the historical 19th-century denture base materials.