[Observation with SEM on the displacement of mucosal surface in process of denture fabrication]

The process of denture fabrication entails a series of steps that begin with impression-taking. Dimensional accuracy and displacement of surface repeatability affect results in these individual steps. Although changes in individual materials have already been measured in the past, there has been almost no measurement up to now of denture fabrication up to the denture base, using the mucous membrane as the standard and then measuring changes in the displacement of surface repeatability for each step. Noticing this lack, the authors used a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), presently the only non-contact measuring instrument that can be used, and measured changes at the different stages including the mucous membrane, the impression materials, the plaster and the resin. A drying process is required for the mucous membrane, and such a process can cause changes in the mucous membrane which is the basis of measurement. For this reason, the authors used Araldite, a product from Ciba-Geigy AG, as a replica material and made replicas for all the test materials, using the replicas for measurement. Results were as follows: 1. Araldite was used as the replica material, thus making it possible with the SEM to observe changes in the displacement of surface repeatability at the individual stages. 2. Major changes in the accuracy of surface were observed during impression-taking and in the period of moving from the impression material to the plaster. 3. During high-power observation with the SEM, the fine bumps on the surface of the plaster and resin disappeared and the surfaces became smooth. This is believed to be the result of the separating agent and heat.