European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

The defects which are seen on the maxillofacial region are caused due to various causes like trauma , surgical intervention to cancerous lesion or congenital disorders however they affect the psychological and social health of an individual. In such patients an aesthetic maxillofacial prostheses rehabilitates the anatomic defect but also restores the psychological health of the patient. Out of many factors which are required for the success of the maxillofacial prostheses, the most important is “AESTHETICS” amongst other factors like retention and close adaptation & Aesthetics of a Maxillofacial Prosthesis depends on proper shade matching. Also one of the major goals of Prosthodontic Dentistry is the restoration of the lost tissues and replacement of the missing structures but also to make the restoration or prosthesis look natural which blends easily with the anatomic structures and remain undetected. All the maxillofacial prosthetic materials and prostheses matched aptly with the skin shade of the patient increases the aesthetic value and makes the prostheses acceptable to the patient. Various visual shade guides are available in the field along with specified shade tabs that are commonly used for shade selection. However there is no literature review which states about the properties, pros and cons of all thesemaxillofacial prosthetic materials. Proper shade matching makes the maxillofacial prosthetic material biomimetic. So the following Literature Review is intended to encompass all the theories and studies regarding shade matching in area of Maxillofacial Prostheses. It also includes the various techniques applied and a wide array of shade guides fabricated for the easier and apt shade matching