Glass or acrylic prosthesis?

F.Ad. Müller Söhne manufactures and customizes glass ocular prostheses. Until 2011, plastic ocular prostheses were also manufactured in our institute. The following is a brief comparison of the two types of prosthesis:

• Tear fluid is distributed better on a glass prosthesis than on a plastic prosthesis. Problems with dry eyes and eye drops are therefore less common with wearers of glass prostheses than with wearers of plastic prostheses.
• The mobility of the prosthesis together with the other eye depends on the residual muscles in both cases and is approximately the same for glass and plastic.
• Glass is an inorganic material and does not cause any allergic reactions in the wearer of the ocular prosthesis.
• A glass prosthesis is lighter than a plastic prosthesis. This is due to the fact that the glass prosthesis is hollow, while the acrylic prosthesis is solid.
• The plastic prosthesis is more robust and is more likely to survive a fall into the sink or onto the floor. On average, 3 glass prostheses break in 50 years.
• The fabrication and fitting of a glass prosthesis takes place during a single visit lasting two hours.
• Several visits are usually required for the fabrication of a plastic prosthesis.
• A denture made of plastic wears out more quickly than one made of glass and must therefore be polished once a year. The glass denture lasts longer and should be replaced after 1 – 2 years. The surface of glass is smooth due to fire polishing. Plastic is ground.
• A plastic ocular prosthesis is more expensive than a glass prosthesis because it is more expensive to manufacture and requires an annual visit to polish it. The standard treatment in Germany is a glass ocular prosthesis. This is covered by the insurance companies. An approval procedure is required for the manufacture of a plastic prosthesis.