The term for cleaning up seam flashing and surface blemishes is seaming. The process actually deseams the prosthetic. Silicone Starting with a small pair of sharp, fine scissors and your fingers (careful!) or a good set of tweezers, carefully lift the seam flashing and trim as close to the surface as possible. Neill Gorton suggests […]

As has already been pointed out, nothing sticks to silicone except other silicone, which can make silicone somewhat difficult to paint, especially if you want the paint to stay put. This section deals with paint options as much as (if not more so) with painting technique. Each makeup that you create will be different, so […]

Wear a dust mask to avoid inhaling acrylic dust from grinding with the Dremel®. 11. Since more dental acrylic is going to be added (pink gum color), we want to prevent it from bonding to the teeth. 12. Mix У4 oz. of Al-Cote® separator with У4 tsp. of glycerin. Brush four coats onto any surface […]

The process of casting dental appliances can be rather complicated and time consuming, con­sidering how small they can be, but considering how important our mouths and teeth are, it is important to take great care to do this task well. Sculpting and casting dental appliances is fun, but be prepared for disappointment. This job is […]

One of the materials used in making theatrical teeth appliances is a liquid monomer that dissolves the dental acrylic powder; you will need to wear a good NIOSH-approved respirator that is rated for organic vapors whenever you are working with monomers. This protection will hopefully help ensure that your brain continues to function properly for […]

I’ll start this section off with another disclaimer because, next to your eyes, your teeth are the most sensitive and delicate body parts you will be working with. Now you’re probably thinking, "Eyes, I can understand, but teeth? Really? They’re hard. There are a lot of them. They’re designed for tearing through meat and chewing […]

A basic gelatin formula (you will notice that the following recipe does not have Sorbitol, white glue, or zinc oxide—do some experimenting—a good makeup effects artist must be part mad chemist): NOTE You can double, triple, or quadruple this formula. Very small batches aren’t as easy to mix as a medium batch, which this describes; […]

Gelatin is more translucent and moves better than some materials, has a very realistic texture, and doesn’t take much makeup to get good cover. However, gelatin breaks down with heat and perspiration; that is, it melts and dissolves, respectively. There are several effective workarounds for sweat-related problems, but heat, such as working under hot stage […]

You can find a number of formulas for making your own gelatin on the Internet, as well as purchasing pre-made gelatin prosthetic material from various indus­try suppliers. When describing gelatin, manufacturers refer to bloom. The bloom factor or bloom strength of gelatin is an industrial standard that measures the rela­tive firmness of the gelatin in […]