Effect of fabrication process on the bond strength between silicone elastomer and acrylic resin for maxillofacial prosthesis

This study evaluated the effects of the fabrication process on tensile bond strength between maxillofacial silicone elastomer and acrylic resin. A common maxillofacial silicone elastomer (VST-50), two primers (Sofreliner primer and R-SI-LINE Plasticbond), and two acrylic resins (Unifast III and Palapress Vario) were selected. Silicone elastomer between primed acrylic resin plates were polymerized using a metal flask mold or a flaskless stone mold. Bond strength of the specimens was measured by a tensile test and analyzed using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey's honest significant difference test. All fracture surfaces showed interfacial fracture. Both the fabrication process and the primer-acrylic resin combination affected bond strength, and two-way ANOVA indicated a significant interaction. Bond strength was generally greater when silicone elastomer was polymerized using a flaskless stone mold.