Analysis of a device for assessment of abutment and prosthesis screw loosening in oral implants

Acoustic resonance frequency analysis for evaluating prosthetic screw stability in splinted implant-supported fixed dental prostheses: An in vitro study

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Prosthetic screw loosening is a common mechanical complication of implant-supported fixed dental prostheses. Although techniques for detecting screw loosening in single implant-supported fixed dental prostheses have been reported, studies on the screw stability for splinted implant-supported fixed dental prostheses are lacking.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this in vitro study was to determine whether acoustic resonance frequency analysis using a newly developed system could detect prosthetic screw loosening in splinted implant-supported fixed dental prostheses.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Maxillary and mandibular edentulous gypsum casts with screw-retained definitive fixed dental prostheses supported by 6 implants were used. A tapping simulation (0.2 N, 50 Hz) was directly applied to the buccal side of the tested screw, and a pickup device was used to collect the acoustic signals. The resonance peak frequencies of these signals were extracted by using time-frequency-domain analysis based on short-time Fourier transform. A 2-way mixed analysis of variance was performed to evaluate how jaw position and insertion torque affect resonance peak frequency. The Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between the insertion torque and resonance peak frequency for each screw (α=.05).

RESULTS

Deviation from the insertion torque resulted in significant changes in the resonance peak frequency within 6 to 9 kHz. Additionally, significant positive correlation between the insertion torques and resonance peak frequencies was observed for all screws (P<.05). This correlation was affected by the position of the screw within the prosthesis. Specifically, screw loosening in the posterior and anterior regions had a greater influence on the resonance peak frequency than that in the central region.

CONCLUSIONS

The acoustic resonance peak frequency shifted leftward as the screw preload torque decreased, indicating a significant correlation with screw stability. These results suggest that acoustic resonance frequency analysis can be used to detect the stability status of a single prosthetic screw in a splinted implant-supported fixed dental prosthesis conveniently and with high sensitivity.

Mechanical behavior of single-layer ceramized zirconia abutments for dental implant prosthetic rehabilitation

Objectives: This study was undertaken to characterize the mechanical response of bare (as-received) and single-layer ceramized zirconia abutments with both internal and external connections that have been developed to enhanced aesthetic restorations. Material and Methods: Sixteen zirconia implant abutments (ZiReal Post®, Biomet 3i, USA) with internal and external connections have been analyzed. Half of the specimens were coated with a 0.5mm-thick layer of a low-fusing fluroapatite ceramic. Mechanical tests were carried out under static (constant cross-head speed of 1mm/min until fracture) and dynamic (between 100 and 400N at a frequency of 1Hz) loading conditions. The failure location was identified by electron microscopy. The removal torque of the retaining screws after testing was also evaluated. Results: The average fracture strength was above 300N for all the abutments, regardless of connection geometry and coating. In most of the cases (94%), failure occurred by abutment fracture. No significant differences were observed either in fatigue behavior and removal torque between the different abutment groups. Conclusions: Mechanical behavior of Zireal zirconia abutments is independent of the type of internal/external connection and the presence/absence of ceramic coating. This may be clinically valuable in dental rehabilitation to improve the aesthetic outcome of zirconia-based dental implant systems.

Key words:Dental implant, zirconia, ceramic structure, mechanical properties.

Effect of unilateral misfit on preload of retention screws of implant-supported prostheses submitted to mechanical cycling

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different levels of unilateral angular misfit on preload maintenance of retention screws of single implant-supported prostheses submitted to mechanical cycling.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Premachined UCLA abutments were cast with cobalt-chromium alloy to obtain 48 crowns divided into four groups (n=12). The crowns presented no misfit in Group A (control group) and unilateral misfits of 50 μm, 100 μm and 200 μm in the groups B, C and D, respectively. The crowns were attached to external hexagon implants with a titanium retention screw with torque of 30 N/cm. Oblique loading of 130 N at 2 Hz was applied on each replica, totalizing 5×10⁴ and 1×10⁶ cycles. Detorque values were measured initially and after each cycling period. Data were evaluated by analysis of variance and Tukey's HSD test (p<0.05).

RESULTS

All groups presented reduced initial detorque values (p<0.05) in comparison to the insertion torque (30±0.5 N/cm) and Group A (25.18 N/cm) exhibited the lowest reduction. After mechanical cycling, all groups presented detorque values from 19.5 N/cm to 22.38 N/cm and the mechanical cycling did not statistically influence the detorque values regardless the misfit level of the replicas.

CONCLUSION

The unilateral misfit influenced the preload maintenance only before mechanical cycling. The mechanical cycling did not influence the torque reduction.