THE RESIDUAL MONOMER IN DENTAL ACRYLIC RESIN AND ITS ADVERSE EFFECTS

Abstract

Acrylic based resins are frequently used in daily dental practice. The most common use of the materials includes denture bases and denture liners, temporary crowns and orthodontic appliances. In the mouth, properties and functional efficiency of applied acrylic resins depend on internal factors related to the methods and conditions of polymerization and on external factors that are related to the environment in which the material is placed. Residual monomer, which is released as a result of interaction of both sets of factors is often associated with irritation, inflammatory and allergic reactions of oral mucosa. The aim of this paper is to review literature dealing with the conditions of polymerization and biodegradation of acrylic resins under certain conditions in the oral cavity and their impact on oral health (reviewed literature available on Medline database during the past two decades.) Conclusion: Methods and conditions of acrylate polymerization, on the one hand, and properties of saliva, chewing and the presence of microorganisms in the oral cavity, on the other hand, can be considered responsible for the release of residual monomers. Clinically significant events followed by redness and erosion of the oral mucosa, burning sensation and burning mucosa and tongue, may be due to the effects of released, potentially cytotoxic, residual monomers.