Comparison of trueness and repeatability of facial prosthesis design using a 3D morphable model approach, traditional computer-aided design methods, and conventional manual sculpting techniques.

Statement Of Problem: Manually sculpting a wax pattern of a facial prosthesis is a time-, skill-, and resource-intensive process. Computer-aided design (CAD) methods have been proposed as a substitute for manual sculpting, but these techniques can still require high technical or artistic abilities. Three-dimensional morphable models (3DMMs) could semi-automate facial prosthesis CAD.

IMproving facial PRosthesis construction with contactlESs Scanning and Digital workflow (IMPRESSeD): study protocol for a feasibility crossover randomised controlled trial of digital versus conventional manufacture of facial prostheses in patients with orbital or nasal facial defects.

Background: Facial prostheses can have a profound impact on patients' appearance, function and quality of life. There has been increasing interest in the digital manufacturing of facial prostheses which may offer many benefits to patients and healthcare services compared with conventional manufacturing processes. Most facial prosthesis research has adopted observational study designs with very few randomised controlled trials (RCTs) documented.

Digital database for nasal prosthesis design with a 3D morphable face model approach.

Designing nasal prostheses can be challenging because of the unpaired nature of the facial feature, especially in patients lacking preoperative information. Various nose model databases have been developed as a helpful starting point for the computer-aided design of nasal prostheses, but these do not appear to be readily accessible. Therefore, an open-access digital database of nose models has been generated based on a 3-dimensional (3D) morphable face model approach.

Outcome measures in facial prosthesis research: A systematic review.

Statement Of Problem: Facial prosthesis research uses a wide variety of outcome measures, which results in challenges when comparing the effectiveness of interventions among studies. Consensus is lacking regarding the most appropriate and meaningful outcome measures to use in facial prosthesis research to capture important perspectives.

Purpose: The purpose of the systematic review was to identify and synthesize outcome measures used in facial prosthesis research.

Volume Assessment of the Effect of Obturators on Facial Form Following Surgery for Head and Neck Cancer Using Stereophotogrammetry.

Purpose: To determine if stereophotogrammetry could be used to determine the effects of obturators on facial contour in relation to the measurement of facial volumes.

Materials And Methods: Stereophotogrammetry images were recorded from 20 subjects with and without their obturators in place. These were converted into a stereolithographic format and overlaid.

Suitability of a Mobile Phone Colorimeter Application for Use as an Objective Aid when Matching Skin Color during the Fabrication of a Maxillofacial Prosthesis.

Purpose: Color matching a facial prosthesis to human skin is very challenging. Colorimeters aid this process by adding objectivity to what is an otherwise subjective procedure. Mobile phone colorimeter applications offer a less expensive and widely available alternative to dedicated colorimeter devices for color measurement.

Development of a 3D printable maxillofacial silicone: Part II. Optimization of moderator and thixotropic agent.

Statement Of Problem: Conventionally, maxillofacial prostheses are fabricated by hand carving the missing anatomic defect in wax and creating a mold into which pigmented silicone elastomer is placed. Digital technologies such as computer numerical control milling and 3-dimensional (3D) printing have been used to prepare molds, directly or indirectly, into which a biocompatible pigmented silicone elastomer can be placed.

Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to develop a silicone elastomer that could be 3D printed directly without a mold to create facial or body prostheses by varying its composition.

Development of a 3D printable maxillofacial silicone: Part I. Optimization of polydimethylsiloxane chains and cross-linker concentration.

Statement Of Problem: Conventionally, maxillofacial prostheses are fabricated by hand carving the missing anatomic defect in wax and creating a mold into which pigmented silicone elastomer is placed. Digital technologies such as computer numerical control (CNC) milling and 3-dimensional (3D) printing have been used to prepare molds directly or indirectly into which a biocompatible pigmented silicone elastomer is placed.

Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to develop a silicone elastomer by varying composition that could eventually be 3D printed directly without a mold to create facial/body prostheses.

Development of a morphing technique for predicting the position and size of an artificial ear in hemifacial microsomia patients.

Purpose: People with hemifacial microsomia may be missing an ear on the affected side of the face. The principal aim of the study was to develop a morphing technique and to determine whether it could be used to appropriately position an artificial ear, as well as to give an indication of prosthesis size in comparison with the natural ear. Comparisons also were made between the artificial ears being worn by the patients with their natural ears.

A comparison of three methods to evaluate the position of an artificial ear on the deficient side of the face from a three-dimensional surface scan of patients with hemifacial microsomia.

Purpose: Patients with hemifacial microsomia may have a missing ear on the deficient side of the face. The fabrication of an ear for such individuals usually has been accomplished by directly measuring the ear on the normal side to construct a prosthesis based on these dimensions, and the positioning has been, to a large extent, primarily operator-dependent. The aim of the present study was to compare three methods, developed from the identification of landmarks plotted on three-dimensional surface scans, to evaluate the position of an artificial ear on the deficient side of the face compared with the position of the natural ear on the normally developed side.

Development of a stereophotogrammetry technique to assess facial change following surgery for head and neck cancer.

A stereophotogrammetry technique is described that can be used to map the face following surgery for head and neck cancer. It enables the effects of obturators on facial form to be assessed and may have a wide variety of applications. Int J Prosthodont 2011;24:342-344.

Coloration of silicone prostheses: technology versus clinical perception. Is there a difference? Part 2, clinical evaluation of a pilot study.

Purpose: The aim of this investigation was to explore the relationship between an objective computer measurement of color difference (ΔE) and subjective clinical opinion of a "good" color match between silicone samples and skin.

Materials And Methods: In Part 1 of this study, silicone samples were colored to match the skin of 19 African-Canadian subjects based on spectrophotometric measurements and pigment formulae determined by computerized color formulation software. Four iterative samples were prepared for each subject; a ΔE value was recorded for each sample to represent the color difference between the silicone sample and skin.

A comparison of prosthetic ear models created from data captured by computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and laser scanning.

Purpose: To compare the dimensional measurements and surface topography of stereolithographic models generated from computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and laser scanning (LS) data with the same subjects' natural ears and ear casts.

Materials And Methods: Stereolithographic models were manufactured from images of the subjects' ears and ear casts recorded by CT, MRI, and LS, and dimensional measurements were compared. In the second part of the study, all stereolithographic models were CT scanned and reconstructed in an STL file format.

A comparison between computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and laser scanning for capturing 3-dimensional data from a natural ear to aid rehabilitation.

Purpose: To compare dimensional measurements on computer images generated from data captured digitally by 3 different methods to those obtained directly from natural ears and ear casts, so as to determine the optimal method of creating a computer-generated ear image.

Materials And Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to obtain 3-dimensional (3D) data images of the normal ears of 14 subjects. Computerized tomography (CT) and laser scanning (LS) were used to obtain 3D data images from stone casts of the same ears.

A comparison between computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and laser scanning for capturing 3-dimensional data from an object of standard form.

Purpose: The study's aim was to compare dimensional measurements on computer images generated from data captured digitally by 3 different methods of the surfaces of a plastic cube of known form to those obtained directly from the cube itself.

Materials And Methods: Three-dimensional images were reconstructed of a plastic cube obtained by computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and laser scanning. Digital calipers were used to record dimensional measurements between the opposing faces of the plastic cube.

A preliminary study to investigate the potential of plasma screen technology in small group teaching for dental undergraduates.

Aim: This preliminary study was devised to ascertain whether students considered that they had an adequate view of demonstrated procedures, while observing these directly at the workbench, or indirectly on a remote plasma screen. In addition, this study sought to identify whether the students observing remotely believed that they had been disadvantaged by the inability to question the demonstrator during the demonstration.

Methods: Seventeen students divided into two groups observed a live demonstration of a laboratory technical procedure either at the workbench, or remotely at a plasma screen with the aid of video cameras.