Retention of maxillofacial prosthesis: A review

Abstract

The facial region defects caused by trauma, accident, tumor or congenital defects are treated with special facial prostheses. Retention is one of the most important factors that determines the success of a maxillofacial prosthesis. Retention has always been a problem in prosthodontics other than esthetics. Increased retention improves comfort as well as the confidence in the patient while wearing a facial prosthesis at work and in social settings thereby improving the long-term prognosis of the prosthesis. In the present article, the methods used for the retention of prostheses from past to present were researched, and the advantages of the retention procedures and the most commonly used current methods, were evaluated. The article describes different types of retentive aids in maxillofacial prosthesis.