The stability of temporary prosthetic base materials. I: Introduction, angular changes and dimensional stability.

The bases of occlusal rims and trial dentures should fit both the cast and the mouth accurately. The retention of shape and dimension of strips and sheets of grey and pink shellac, filled cold cure acrylic resin and wax were tested following moulding over stylised upper edentulous casts. The thermoplastic materials were softened over a flame or in a water bath. Specimens were prepared with and without folding along the long axes of the strips. The angles formed by the strips, the gap between the palate of the baseplates and casts and the linear dimension of the sheets were measured after moulding, after immersion in water at 37 and 45 degrees C and after 24 h at room temperature. The least angular change was shown by unfolded grey shellac, softened over a flame and moulded by finger pressure over an unwarmed cast, followed by folded specimens softened in water and moulded with the fingers over a prewarmed cast. The least gap developed beneath pink shellac softened in water and moulded by finger pressure over a warmed cast. The smallest dimensional change was shown by grey shellac softened in water and moulded by finger pressure over a warmed cast. Thus, optimally manipulated shellac materials exhibit less change after moulding than cold cure acrylic resin or modelling wax.