Previous color characterization techniques rarely recommended surface staining of finished dentures with autopolymerizing acrylic resin stains because of the lack of color stability and the lack of abrasion resistance of these stains. However, applying stains to the gingival surfaces in the flask before packing has a major disadvantage. If any reshaping of these surfaces is required after processing, the stains are lost in finishing and in polishing. In this technique, surface staining of finished dentures is possible because of clear, light-cured resin coatings^tt. The clear coating provides a hard, high gloss which makes the polishing of dentures unnecessary. The coating seals the surface which promotes the color stability of the base and the stains. Abrasion resistance of the denture base and custom staining should be greatly improved¹² . It is claimed that the coatings^ttt render the denture more wettable and retentive, and that urethane coatings may prevent allergic responses to poly-methyl methacrylate; but these claims cannot be confirmed. The technique is as follows:

1. Lightly sand or sandblast the unpolished denture avoiding stained areas, then clean with detergent solution and dry with oil-free air.
2. Using a soft clean brush, apply the coating in a thin even film, painting in one direction only to avoid air bubbles. Do not brush a second time.
3. Polymerize in the manufacturer's laboratory light curing unit according to instructions. (Coatings and curing units from different manufacturers may be incompatible). (Figure 8):

   Figure 8: The denture identifier embedded in the denture with a clear light cured gel. The clear, light cured denture coating has also been applied and provides stain and abrasion resistance and eliminates most of the denture polishing.

^ttPalaseal, Heraeus Kulzer, Inc., Irvine, CA
^tttRelight, Schutz-Dental GmbH, Rosbach, Germany