Three-dimensional finite element analysis of glass-ceramic dental crowns

Because of the improved esthetic potential of glass-ceramic crowns as dental restorations, they are sometimes preferred over metal-ceramic crowns for restoration of anterior teeth. Because of their relatively high strength, these ceramic crowns are also frequently used for restoration of posterior teeth. However, due to the larger magnitude of biting forces on posterior teeth, intraoral fracture of all-ceramic crowns tends to occur more frequently in posterior crowns (Moffa, 1988). The objective of this study was to determine the relative influence of load orientation and the occlusal thickness of posterior ceramic crowns on the stress distribution which develops under these loading and design conditions. Three-dimensional finite element models for a molar crown were developed to determine the stress distribution under simulated applied loads. Glass-ceramic crowns with occlusal thicknesses of 0.5, 1.5, and 3.0 mm were considered. The largest principal tensile stresses induced in ceramic due to a distributed load of 600 N applied in a cuspal region were approximately 12 and 182 MPa for vertical and horizontal loading orientations, respectively. Stresses which developed in the facial and lingual marginal regions were primarily compressive under vertical loads. However, tensile stresses developed when the load was applied horizontally. Differences in stress distribution within crowns with the three occlusal thicknesses occurred only near the site of loading. Because of the relatively large failure rates of ceramic crowns in the posterior regions, these restorations should be strengthened by improvement in design, composition, and thermal processing conditions. Before any significant progress is made in these areas, these restorations should be used for the anterior teeth. The results of this study suggest that orientation of the applied load has a more important effect on development of large tensile stresses than the occlusal thickness of ceramic.     

A novel computational method to determine subject-specific bite force and occlusal loading during mastication

The evaluation of three-dimensional occlusal loading during biting and chewing may assist in development of new dental materials, in designing effective and long-lasting restorations such as crowns and bridges, and for evaluating functional performance of prosthodontic components such as dental and/or maxillofacial implants. At present, little is known about the dynamic force and pressure distributions at the occlusal surface during mastication, as these quantities cannot be measured directly. The aim of this study was to evaluate subject-specific occlusal loading forces during mastication using accurate jaw motion measurements. Motion data was obtained from experiments in which an individual performed maximal effort dynamic chewing cycles on a rubber sample with known mechanical properties. A finite element model simulation of one recorded chewing cycle was then performed to evaluate the deformation of the rubber. This was achieved by imposing the measured jaw motions on a three-dimensional geometric surface model of the subject’s dental impressions. Based on the rubber’s deformation and its material behaviour, the simulation was used to compute the resulting stresses within the rubber as well as the contact pressures and forces on the occlusal surfaces. An advantage of this novel modelling approach is that dynamic occlusal pressure maps and biting forces may be predicted with high accuracy and resolution at each time step throughout the chewing cycle. Depending on the motion capture technique and the speed of simulation, the methodology may be automated in such a way that it can be performed chair-side. The present study demonstrates a novel modelling methodology for evaluating dynamic occlusal loading during biting or chewing.     

Movement behavior of teeth and dental implants in periotest measurement in occlusion--an in vitro study]

Early diagnosis of periodontal disease is essential for the planning of restorative, prosthetic and surgical treatment. The usual clinical methods are mostly subjective. Although the Periotest device has been specially developed for the diagnosis of periodontal disease, it can also be used to aid occlusal adjustment after insertion of inlays or artificial crowns. To investigate this application of the Periotest, a jaw model with idealized dental crowns incorporating motion and force sensors has been constructed. Motion and force are recorded during measurements with the Periotest. The maximum amplitudes in the apical (vertical) direction obtained with unpolished occlusal points increased with increasing occlusal load. With polished contact points, the maximum values in the apical direction revealed no dependence on occlusal load. The maximum amplitudes of movement and force in the oral (horizontal) direction decrease with increasing occlusal load both with polished and unpolished contact points. With the first, the teeth appear to slide one upon the other such that the overall distance between them remains unchanged, and no additional apical forces develop. In the case of rough contact points, additional forces develop, and falsify Periotest measurements.     

Probabilistic fatigue analysis of all-ceramic crowns based on the finite element method

The reliability evaluation and lifetime prediction of oral restorations for dentists have always been the major concern in the field of prosthodontics. This study introduced a new methodology for dealing with stress–strength interference and an analysis to quantify the reliability of all-ceramic crowns. The response stress was based on finite element models of all-ceramic crowns, which were constructed by reverse techniques. The method utilized in this study was a probabilistic analysis that considered the all-ceramic crown as a structural component associated with multiple factors involved in the all-ceramic system including occlusal loads and mechanical properties of porcelain. The results suggested the survival probability of all-ceramic crowns after 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 years could be computed to be 98.89%, 98.03%, 97.50%, 97.13%, and 96.93%, respectively. Probabilistic analysis methods offer a systematic technique to incorporate and account for the nature of uncertainty in ceramic restorations and allow prediction of the reliability of all-ceramic crowns under cyclic occlusal loads with accuracy.     

Mechanical response comparison in an implant overdenture retained by ball attachments on conventional regular and mini dental implants: a finite element analysis

This study investigates the bone/implant mechanical responses in an implant overdenture retained by ball attachments on two conventional regular dental implants (RDI) and four mini dental implants (MDI) using finite element (FE) analysis. Two FE models of overdentures retained by RDIs and MDIs for a mandibular edentulous patient with validation within 6% variation errors were constructed by integrating CT images and CAD system. Bone grafting resulted in 2 mm thickness at the buccal side constructed for the RDIs-supported model to mimic the bone augmentation condition for the atrophic alveolar ridge. Nonlinear hyperelastic material and frictional contact element were used to simulate characteristic of the ball attachment-retained overdentures. The results showed that a denture supported by MDIs presented higher surrounding bone strains than those supported by RDIs under different load conditions. Maximum bone micro strains were up to 6437/2987 and 13323/5856 for MDIs/RDIs under single centric and lateral contacts, respectively. Corresponding values were 4429/2579 and 9557/5774 under multi- centric and lateral contacts, respectively. Bone micro strains increased 2.06 and 1.96-folds under single contact, 2.16 and 2.24-folds under multiple contacts for MDIs and RDIs when lateral to axial loads were compared. The maximum RDIs and MDIs implant stresses in all simulated cases were found by far lower than their yield strength. Overdentures retained using ball attachments on MDIs in poor edentulous bone structure increase the surrounding bone strain over the critical value, thereby damaging the bone when compared to the RDIs. Eliminating the occlusal single contact and oblique load of an implant-retained overdenture reduces the risk for failure.     

Design and testing of a novel measuring system for use in dental biomechanics--principles and examples of measurements with the hexapod measuring system]

A novel measuring set-up based on a hexapod system for use in dental biomechanics is described. It was specially developed to measure force/deflection characteristics of different dental materials and devices. The functionability and suitability of the system for use in experimental biomechanics were investigated in two different studies. In a first study the micro mobility of prosthetic telescopic crowns prior to and after simulated wear was determined to investigate the influence of wear processes on the stability of the anchorage elements and thus of prostheses. This study investigated the ability of the setup to load a specimen with high forces or torques of up to 100 Newton. The second study looked at the force/deflection characteristics of orthodontic anchorage pins used in orthodontics to additionally stabilize the anchorage unit, for example during molar movement. In this study specimens were loaded with small forces of less than 10 Newton, as are typically used in orthodontics. Using the setup, the deflection behaviour of these devices under high and low loading was measured at a resolution of approximately one micrometer or one angular second.     

Brief communication: comparing loading scenarios in lower first molar supporting bone structure using 3D finite element analysis

Finite element analysis (FEA) is a widespread technique to evaluate the stress/strain distributions in teeth or dental supporting tissues. However, in most studies occlusal forces are usually simplified using a single vector (i.e., point load) either parallel to the long tooth axis or oblique to this axis. In this pilot study we show how lower first molar occlusal information can be used to investigate the stress distribution with 3D FEA in the supporting bone structure. The LM₁ and the LP²‐LM¹ of a dried modern human skull were scanned by μCT in maximum intercuspation contact. A kinematic analysis of the surface contacts between LM₁ and LP²‐LM¹ during the power stroke was carried out in the occlusal fingerprint analyzer (OFA) software to visualize contact areas during maximum intercuspation contact. This information was used for setting the occlusal molar loading to evaluate the stress distribution in the supporting bone structure using FEA. The output was compared to that obtained when a point force parallel to the long axis of the tooth was loaded in the occlusal basin. For the point load case, our results indicate that the buccal and lingual cortical plates do not experience notable stresses. However, when the occlusal contact areas are considered, the disto‐lingual superior third of the mandible experiences high tensile stresses, while the medio‐lingual cortical bone is subjected to high compressive stresses. Developing a more realistic loading scenario leads to better models to understand the relationship between masticatory function and mandibular shape and structures. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Individual tooth macrowear pattern guides the reconstruction of Sts 52 (Australopithecus africanus) dental arches

The functional restoration of the occlusal relationship between maxillary and mandibular tooth rows is a major challenge in modern dentistry and maxillofacial surgery. Similar technical challenges are present in paleoanthropology when considering fragmented and deformed mandibular and maxillary fossils. Sts 52, an Australopithecus africanus specimen from Sterkfontein Member 4, represents a typical case where the original shape of the dental arches is no longer preserved. It includes a partial lower face (Sts 52a) and a fragmented mandible (Sts 52b), both incomplete and damaged to such an extent to thwart attempts at matching upper and lower dentitions. We show how the preserved macrowear pattern of the tooth crowns can be used to functionally reconstruct Sts 52's dental arches. High‐resolutiondental stone casts of Sts 52 maxillary and mandibular dentition were mounted and repositioned in a dental articulator. The occlusal relationship between antagonists was restored based on the analysis of the occlusal wear pattern of each preserved tooth, considering all dental contact movements represented in the occlusal compass. The reconstructed dental arches were three‐dimensional surface scanned and their occlusal kinematics tested in a simulation. The outcome of this contribution is the first functional restoration of A. africanus dental arches providing new morphometric data for specimen Sts 52. It is noteworthy that the method described in this case study might be applied to several other fossilspecimens. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Improved single- and multi-contact life-time testing of dental restorative materials using key characteristics of the human masticatory system and a force/position-controlled robotic dental wear simulator

This paper presents a new in vitro wear simulator based on spatial parallel kinematics and a biologically inspired implicit force/position hybrid controller to replicate chewing movements and dental wear formations on dental components, such as crowns, bridges or a full set of teeth. The human mandible, guided by passive structures such as posterior teeth and the two temporomandibular joints, moves with up to 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) in Cartesian space. The currently available wear simulators lack the ability to perform these chewing movements. In many cases, their lack of sufficient DOF enables them only to replicate the sliding motion of a single occlusal contact point by neglecting rotational movements and the motion along one Cartesian axis. The motion and forces of more than one occlusal contact points cannot accurately be replicated by these instruments. Furthermore, the majority of wear simulators are unable to control simultaneously the main wear-affecting parameters, considering abrasive mechanical wear, which are the occlusal sliding motion and bite forces in the constraint contact phase of the human chewing cycle. It has been shown that such discrepancies between the true in vivo and the simulated in vitro condition influence the outcome and the quality of wear studies. This can be improved by implementing biological features of the human masticatory system such as tooth compliance realized through the passive action of the periodontal ligament and active bite force control realized though the central nervous system using feedback from periodontal preceptors. The simulator described in this paper can be used for single- and multi-occlusal contact testing due to its kinematics and ability to exactly replicate human translational and rotational mandibular movements with up to 6 DOF without neglecting movements along or around the three Cartesian axes. Recorded human mandibular motion and occlusal force data are the reference inputs of the simulator. Experimental studies of wear using this simulator demonstrate that integrating the biological feature of combined force/position hybrid control in dental material testing improves the linearity and reduces the variability of results. In addition, it has been shown that present biaxially operated dental wear simulators are likely to provide misleading results in comparative in vitro/in vivo one-contact studies due to neglecting the occlusal sliding motion in one plane which could introduce an error of up to 49% since occlusal sliding motion D and volumetric wear loss V(loss) are proportional.     

Flat medial-lateral conformity in total knee replacements does not minimize contact stresses.

The potential for wear in UHMWPE components for total knee replacements can be reduced by decreasing the stresses and strains arising from tibial-femoral contact. The conformity of the articular surfaces has a large effect on the resultant stresses, and components that achieve flat medial-lateral contact have been assumed to produce the lowest stresses due to their perfect conformity. We computed the stresses arising from curved and flat contact on a half-space using two-dimensional, plane strain elasticity solutions and finite element analyses to compare the performance of curved and flat indenters. These indenters were represented by a polynomial so the profiles could be continuously varied from curved to flat. Curved contact resulted in maximum stresses at the center of contact, while flat contact produced maximum stresses at the edge of contact. In addition, three contemporary tibial configurations (flat-on-flat, curved-on-flat, and curved-on-curved geometries) were analyzed using the finite element method with nonlinear material properties. The maximum contact stress, von Mises stress, and von Mises strain were lowest for the curved-on-curved model. The other configurations resulted in higher contact stresses, von Mises stresses, and von Mises strains. The perfect conformity arising from flat contact did not reduce the contact stresses in the UHMWPE component. The tensile stresses, however, were lowest for the flat-on-flat geometry compared with the other two configurations. Relating these distinct differences could prove useful in interpretation of data from simulator and retrieval studies.     

The Adaptive Significance of Enamel Loss in the Mandibular Incisors of Cercopithecine Primates (Mammalia: Cercopithecidae): A Finite Element Modelling Study

In several primate groups enamel is reduced or absent from the lingual (tongue) side of the mandibular incisor crowns akin to other placental and marsupial mammalian groups such as rodents, lagomorphs and wombats. Here we investigate the presumed adaptation of crowns with unilateral enamel to the incision of tough foods in cercopithecines, an Old World monkey subfamily, using a simulation approach. We developed and validated a finite element model of the lower central incisor of the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) with labial enamel only to compute three-dimensional displacements and maximum principal stresses on the crown subjected to compressive loads varying in orientation. Moreover, we developed a model of a macaque incisor with enamel present on both labial and lingual aspects, thus resembling the ancestral condition found in the sister taxon, the leaf-eating colobines. The results showed that, concomitant with experimental results, the cercopithecine crown with unilateral enamel bends predominantly towards the inside of the mouth, while displacements decreased when both labial and lingual enamel are present. Importantly, the cercopithecine incisor crown experienced lower maximum principal stress on the lingual side compared to the incisor with enamel on the lingual and labial aspects under non-axial loads directed either towards the inside or outside of the mouth. These findings suggest that cercopithecine mandibular incisors are adapted to a wide range of ingestive behaviours compared to colobines. We conclude that the evolutionary loss of lingual enamel in cercopithecines has conferred a safeguard against crown failure under a loading regime assumed for the ingestion (peeling, scraping) of tough-skinned fruits.     

Stress intensity factors for a vertical surface crack in polyethylene subject to rolling and sliding contact.

Pitting wear is a dominant form of polyethylene surface damage in total knee replacements, and may originate from surface cracks that propagate under repeated tribological contact. In the present study, stress intensity factors, KI and KII, were calculated for a surface crack in a polyethylene-CoCr-bone system in the presence of rolling or sliding contact pressures. Variations in crack length and load location were studied to determine probable crack propagation mechanisms and modes. The crack tip experienced a wide range of mixed-mode conditions that varied as a function of crack length, load location, and sliding friction. Positive KI values were observed for shorter cracks in rolling contact and for all crack lengths when the sliding load moved away from the crack. KII was greatest when the load was directly adjacent to the crack (g/a = +/- 1), where coincidental Mode I stresses were predominantly compressive. Sliding friction substantially increased both KImax and KIImax. The effective Mode I stress intensity factors, Keff, were greatest at g/a = +/- 1, illustrating the significance of high shear stresses generated by loads adjacent to surface cracks. Keff trends suggest mechanisms for surface pitting by which surface cracks propagate along their original plane under repeated reciprocating rolling or sliding, and turn in the direction of sliding under unidirectional sliding contact.     

Tooth movements are guided by specific contact areas between the tooth root and the jaw bone: A dynamic 3D microCT study of the rat molar

Teeth sustain high loads over a lifetime and yet intact tooth failure is rare. The different structures of the tooth, jaw bone and the intervening soft periodontal ligament enable the tooth to endure repeated loading during mastication. Although mechanical and functional properties of the different components are thoroughly investigated, the manner in which the whole tooth functions under load is still enigmatic. A custom-made loading system inside a microCT scanner was used to directly visualize the root movements in relation to the jaw bone as the rat molar tooth was loaded. At low loads no contact was observed between the root surface and the bone, whereas at higher loads three specific contact areas between the root surface and the jaw bone were observed. These contact areas restrict tooth movement in the buccal-lingual direction, but enable the tooth to rock in a "seesaw" like manner in the distal-mesial direction. The contact areas appear to play a role in determining tooth motion and in turn define the manner in which the whole tooth moves when loaded. These observations are important for understanding basic structure-function relations of the tooth-PDL-bone system, and have direct implications for better understanding pathological and therapeutic processes in orthodontics, periodontics and jaw bone regeneration.     

Prognosis of implant longevity in terms of annual bone loss: a methodological finite element study

Dental implant failure is mainly the consequence of bone loss at peri-implant area. It usually begins in crestal bone. Due to this gradual loss, implants cannot withstand functional force without bone overload, which promotes complementary loss. As a result, implant lifetime is significantly decreased. To estimate implant success prognosis, taking into account 0.2 mm annual bone loss for successful implantation, ultimate occlusal forces for the range of commercial cylindrical implants were determined and changes of the force value for each implant due to gradual bone loss were studied. For this purpose, finite element method was applied and von Mises stresses in implant–bone interface under 118.2 N functional occlusal load were calculated. Geometrical models of mandible segment, which corresponded to Type II bone (Lekholm & Zarb classification), were generated from computed tomography images. The models were analyzed both for completely and partially osseointegrated implants (bone loss simulation). The ultimate value of occlusal load, which generated 100 MPa von Mises stresses in the critical point of adjacent bone, was calculated for each implant. To estimate longevity of implants, ultimate occlusal loads were correlated with an experimentally measured 275 N occlusal load (Mericske-Stern & Zarb). These findings generally provide prediction of dental implants success.     

Validation of a personalized curved muscle model of the lumbar spine during complex dynamic exertions

Previous curved muscle models have typically examined their robustness only under simple, single-plane static exertions. In addition, the empirical validation of curved muscle models through an entire lumbar spine has not been fully realized. The objective of this study was to empirically validate a personalized biologically-assisted curved muscle model during complex dynamic exertions. Twelve subjects performed a variety of complex lifting tasks as a function of load weight, load origin, and load height. Both a personalized curved muscle model as well as a straight-line muscle model were used to evaluate the model’s fidelity and prediction of three-dimensional spine tissue loads under different lifting conditions. The curved muscle model showed better model performance and different spinal loading patterns through an entire lumbar spine compared to the straight-line muscle model. The curved muscle model generally showed good fidelity regardless of lifting condition. The majority of the 600 lifting tasks resulted in a coefficient of determination (R²) greater than 0.8 with an average of 0.83, and the average absolute error less than 15% between measured and predicted dynamic spinal moments. As expected, increased load and asymmetry were generally found to significantly increase spinal loads, demonstrating the ability of the model to differentiate between experimental conditions. A curved muscle model would be useful to estimate precise spine tissue loads under realistic circumstances. This precise assessment tool could aid in understanding biomechanical causal pathways for low back pain.     

Investigation of impact loading rate effects on the ligamentous cervical spinal load-partitioning using finite element model of functional spinal unit C2–C3

The cervical spine functions as a complex mechanism that responds to sudden loading in a unique manner, due to intricate structural features and kinematics. The spinal load-sharing under pure compression and sagittal flexion/extension at two different impact rates were compared using a bio-fidelic finite element (FE) model of the ligamentous cervical functional spinal unit (FSU) C2–C3. This model was developed using a comprehensive and realistic geometry of spinal components and material laws that include strain rate dependency, bone fracture, and ligament failure. The range of motion, contact pressure in facet joints, failure forces in ligaments were compared to experimental findings. The model demonstrated that resistance of spinal components to impact load is dependent on loading rate and direction. For the loads applied, stress increased with loading rate in all spinal components, and was concentrated in the outer intervertebral disc (IVD), regions of ligaments to bone attachment, and in the cancellous bone of the facet joints. The highest stress in ligaments was found in capsular ligament (CL) in all cases. Intradiscal pressure (IDP) in the nucleus was affected by loading rate change. It increased under compression/flexion but decreased under extension. Contact pressure in the facet joints showed less variation under compression, but increased significantly under flexion/extension particularly under extension. Cancellous bone of the facet joints region was the only component fractured and fracture occurred under extension at both rates. The cervical ligaments were the primary load-bearing component followed by the IVD, endplates and cancellous bone; however, the latter was the most vulnerable to extension as it fractured at low energy impact.     

Viscoelastic finite element analysis of an all-ceramic fixed partial denture

In recent years metal-free ceramic systems have become increasingly popular in dental practice because of their superior aesthetics, chemical durability and biocompatibility. Recently, manufacturers have proposed new dental ceramic systems that are advertised as being suitable for posterior fixed partial dentures (FPDs). Reports indicate that some of these systems have exhibited poor clinical performance. The objective of this study was to use the viscoelastic option of the ANSYS finite element program to calculate residual stresses in an all-ceramic FPD for four ceramic-ceramic combinations. A three-dimensional finite element model of the FPD was constructed from digitized scanning data and calculations were performed for four systems: (1) IPS Empress 2, a glass-veneering material, and Empress 2 core ceramic; (2) IPS Eris a low fusing fluorapatite-containing glass-veneering ceramic, and Empress 2 core ceramic; (3) IPS Empress 2 veneer and an experimental lithium-disilicate-based core ceramic; and (4) IPS Eris and an experimental lithium-disilicate-based core ceramic. The maximum residual tensile stresses in the veneer layer for these combinations are as follows: (1) 77 MPa, (2) 108 MPa, (3) 79 MPa, and (4) 100 MPa. These stresses are relatively high compared to the flexural strengths of these materials. In all cases, the maximum residual tensile stresses in the core frameworks were well below the flexural strengths of these materials. We conclude that the high residual tensile stresses in all-ceramic FPDs with a layering ceramic may place these systems in jeopardy of failure under occlusal loading in the oral cavity.     

Occlusion in an Adult Male Gorilla with a Supernumerary Maxillary Premolar

Supernumerary teeth, or teeth that develop in addition to the normal number of deciduous and permanent dentition, have been widely described in human and nonhuman primates. Most studies have focused on the morphology and on the etiology of supernumerary teeth, and little is known about their occlusal relationships with adjacent and antagonistic teeth, and their effects on individuals’ masticatory efficiency. We analyzed the occlusal wear pattern of an adult male Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) with a fully erupted extra maxillary right premolar. We used a virtual method, occlusal fingerprint analysis, to reconstruct the major mandibular occlusal pathways responsible for the creation of wear facets on the tooth crowns. This approach is based on analysis of facet parameters such as inclination, directions, and areas, all measured using high-resolution 3-D virtual models of dental crowns. The results show unusual wear patterns in the supernumerary premolar and on its antagonist contacts (lower P4 and M1) that cannot be associated with a normal masticatory behavior. Occlusal simulation and kinematic analyses reveal a high level of directional overlapping combined with the absence of common occlusal contacts. This indicates a case of malocclusion that must have caused discomfort in this gorilla when biting or chewing, and may represent the first evidence of bruxism (grinding the teeth and clenching the jaw) in wild great apes.     

Numerical simulation on the biomechanical interactions of tooth/implant-supported system under various occlusal forces with rigid/non-rigid connections

The aim of this study was to analyze the biomechanics in an implant/tooth-supported system under different occlusal forces with rigid/non-rigid connectors by adopting a 3D non-linear finite element (FE) approach. A 3D FE model containing one Frialit-2 implant splinted to the mandibular second premolar was constructed. Contact elements (frictional surface) were used to simulate the realistic interface condition within the implant system and the sliding keyway stress-breaker function. The stress distributions in the splinting system and dissimilar mobility between natural tooth and implant with rigid and non-rigid connectors were observed for six loading types. The simulated results indicated that the lateral occlusal forces significantly increased the implant (sigma(I, max)), alveolar bone (sigma(AB, max)) and prosthesis (sigma(P, max)) stress values when compared with the axial occlusal forces. The sigma(I, max) and sigma(AB, max) values did not exhibit significant differences regardless of the connector type used. However, the sigma(P, max) values with a non-rigid connection increased more than two times those of the rigid connection. The sigma(I, max), sigma(AB, max) and sigma(P, max) stress values were significantly reduced in centric or lateral contact situations once the occlusal forces on the pontic were decreased. Moreover, the vertical-tooth-to-implant displacement ratios with a non-rigid connection were 23 and 9.9 times that for axial and lateral loads, respectively, applied on the premolar. However, the compensated non-rigid connector capabilities were not significant when occlusal forces acted on the complete prosthesis. The non-rigid connector (keyway device) only significantly exploited its function when the occlusal forces acted on a natural tooth. Minimizing the occlusal loading force on the pontic area through occlusal adjustment procedures to redistribute stress in the maximum intercuspation or lateral working position for an implant/tooth-supported prosthesis is recommended.     

Unravelling the Functional Biomechanics of Dental Features and Tooth Wear

Most of the morphological features recognized in hominin teeth, particularly the topography of the occlusal surface, are generally interpreted as an evolutionary functional adaptation for mechanical food processing. In this respect, we can also expect that the general architecture of a tooth reflects a response to withstand the high stresses produced during masticatory loadings. Here we use an engineering approach, finite element analysis (FEA), with an advanced loading concept derived from individual occlusal wear information to evaluate whether some dental traits usually found in hominin and extant great ape molars, such as the trigonid crest, the entoconid-hypoconulid crest and the protostylid have important biomechanical implications. For this purpose, FEA was applied to 3D digital models of three Gorilla gorilla lower second molars (M₂) differing in wear stages. Our results show that in unworn and slightly worn M₂s tensile stresses concentrate in the grooves of the occlusal surface. In such condition, the trigonid and the entoconid-hypoconulid crests act to reinforce the crown locally against stresses produced along the mesiodistal groove. Similarly, the protostylid is shaped like a buttress to suffer the high tensile stresses concentrated in the deep buccal groove. These dental traits are less functional in the worn M₂, because tensile stresses decrease physiologically in the crown with progressing wear due to the enlargement of antagonistic contact areas and changes in loading direction from oblique to nearly parallel direction to the dental axis. This suggests that the wear process might have a crucial influence in the evolution and structural adaptation of molars enabling to endure bite stresses and reduce tooth failure throughout the lifetime of an individual.