Thermoplastic Materials in the Dental Practice: A Review

Thermoplastic materials (TMs) are composites (co-polymers) that possess the quality of flexibility. They were introduced in dentistry in the 1950s as an alternative to acrylics. TMs have the following characteristics no residual monomer, no toxic or allergenic additives, high biocompatibility and the ability to keep their shape. At present, the following groups of TMs are used for the fabrication of flexible removable dentures acetylates, polyamides, thermoplastic acrylic resins, polyolefins and polyesters. These are all non-monomer, high-molecular compounds from different chemical elements with different properties. TMs are made of linear or less branched chains, they can soften during heating and solidify upon cooling.