Facial prostheses applied to defects of the facial region are always exposed to skin or oral mucosa, fresh air, and sunlight, so it is important to keep the prostheses clean to prevent infection.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the handling of a new silicone material for facial prostheses. The influence of a denture cleanser, ethanol for disinfection and cleaning with a brush for dentures on test pieces was examined. In addition, we examined the influence of different preservation methods on the color changes of the material.
The denture cleansers and ethanol for sterilization had no influence, but the test piece cleaned with a brush for dentures lost its surface luster and turned yellow. Furthermore, the test piece that was left in the air turned yellow in comparison with a test piece that was immersed in water.
These results suggest that the material should be handled by immersing it in water, keeping it clean by ethanol for disinfection, and regularly cleaning it with denture cleanser.
