To his left on the countertop are a dozen brushes and tiny lumps of acrylic and oil paint. To his right are a silicone gun, an oven and rows of prosthetic eyes, noses and ears in various stages of completion.

Blending art with science at a laboratory attached to the School of Dental Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, dental technologist Abdullah Hamat crafts medical-grade replicas of eyes, noses, ears and dental pieces to make clients scarred by bouts of cancer, a birth defect or injury cosmetically whole again.

Abdullah, 53, is one of the three maxillofacial technologists at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM).

Having 20 over years of experience in dental and 15 years in maxillofacial work, he has not only a steady hand and a grasp of anatomy, but also an eye for colour.

"After surgeons have done what they can to save the patients, we do what we can to make them look whole again."

Eye-eye, sir

Sara Fikri, 29, a teacher at a school for special children, lost one eye to retinoblastoma cancer, a rapidly growing tumour on the retina. She had surgery to remove the cancer to prevent it from migrating to her brain cavity. At the recommendation of her ophthalmologist, she came to HUSM to have a prosthetic eye fitted.

"It was really traumatic soon after my surgery. I was in total shock when I discovered that nothing could be done to restore my eyesight," she recalls.

Adjusting to eye loss, Sara admits, was not easy, but while many people might despair over the loss of an eye, she has learned to accept a prosthesis as part of her body.

"My family told me they wanted me to have every opportunity in life and if, by having an artificial eye I would be judged on my abilities and not my disabilities, I accept it.

"It is part of my daily routine now: shower, brush teeth, pop in eye. Somehow having a false eye makes me feel less vulnerable and reassured that my identity is not determined by my disability.

"After I had the eye replaced, very few people realise that it is a prosthesis," she says.

"If I don't tell them, they don't know. Those who have just learned that one eye is a prosthesis will ask: "Really? Which one? The false eye doesn't look too different from the working one".

"Even I can't tell which eye I made sometimes," he says. "While an artificial eye can't move the way a real eye does, and the size of the pupil does not change, there is usually nothing in the fit or the colour to give it away. It is practically indistinguishable."

Prosthetic eyes have come a long way. Today they are made with more artistry than ever before.

"Because everyone is just a little bit different in the size and shape of their eyes and eye sockets, mass produced eyes, when placed in the socket, could just stare in the same direction all day," he points out.

"The colours are not blended and it looks lifeless. Even for people with dark eyes there are many subtleties. Simply painting a brown or black circle with a black pupil in the middle will not do justice to the colour of a person's eye and will look fake and unnatural," Abdullah points out.

"Shaping an eye is similar to making dentures and involves the same materials and similar shaping and sculpting techniques," he says.

"First, an impression of the eye socket is taken for a proper fit. This is a painless process that involves filling a syringe with silicone and packing it into the eye socket. Once the silicone is hardened, is it removed from the eye. From the mould, the artificial eye is made using sclera (white plastic). Children as young as eight go through this process without shedding a tear," explains Abdullah.

When the sclera sets, it bears a precise image of the contours of the socket.

"An artificial eye is made to fit so that it will stay in place until the wearer takes it out," he says.

At a glance, it resembles a shiny white shell, and is concave like a contact lens.

Then the real craftsmanship begins. Like an artist restoring a canvas, Abdullah meticulously hand-paints it to look like the real eye.

"We build the effect up in layers, gradually adding colour and texture, until we have close to a perfect match," he says.

The white of the eye isn't completely white in most people. It is slightly shaded and there are tiny blood vessels that can often be seen. An eye that is too white and doesn't have any irregularities appears more doll-like. The blood vessels are too small to paint so we use red silk fibre to simulate it."

A prosthetic eye will generally take five appointments, typically taking place over five to six weeks. Additional appointments may be required to achieve the optimum fit and colour match.

The end results appear real enough to be almost eerie when seen on a counter top. The surface has a life-like reflection and gives an illusion of depth.

"The moistness of the socket allows the false eyes to move with the head. They are so light and comfortable that the patient forgets he's wearing it," says Abdullah.

Because of natural changes in eye-socket structure, the wearer of an artificial eye normally has to be fitted for a new prosthesis every three years for children and every five years for adults.

"The prosthesis will need to be replaced because of wear and tear and to keep up with the natural ear, which will continue to change with age," he says.

Artificial eyes, according to Abdullah, are relatively low-maintenance.

"Home cleaning with water daily is sufficient to remove build up of the eye's natural secretions and other irritants."

When patients come for the final fitting, Abdullah will sit them down with a mirror and get them to try on the prosthesis to see whether it is a snug fit.

"If it doesn't sit right, it comes out for further trimming," he says.

New patients are taught how to put on and remove the prosthesis. Removing the artificial eye was difficult in the beginning for Sara but it is now second nature for her.

"I pull down the lower lid and look upward. The eye will slide out over the lower lid. To pop it back in, I just hold the eye between the thumb and forefinger and with the other hand, lift the upper eyelid. Then, I gently slide the top of the eye under the upper eyelid and hold it in place while I pull down the lower eyelid with the other hand so that it slips over the bottom of the eye, holding it in place," she smiles.