Multi-response optimisation analysis of material properties in dental restorative composites under the influence of thermal and thermomechanical stimuli - A 3D finite element study

OBJECTIVES

Restored teeth undergo more damage than intact teeth. Therefore, the scientific investigation of their mechanical and physical behaviour under varying oral conditions is vital. The current study is to numerically investigate the stresses on a class-II mesio-occluso-distal (MOD) restored molar due to thermal and thermomechanical stimuli with varying input properties such as coefficient of thermal expansion and elastic properties. This is performed to optimise the dental restoration material, thereby reducing the stresses and failure of the restoration.

METHODS

An upper molar was scanned using μ-CT for segmenting and modelling the enamel and dentine. A class-II MOD cavity was then prepared on the model, after which non-manifold meshing was generated. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and elastic modulus (E) properties of the restoration were varied from 20 × 10-6 °C-1 to 55 × 10-6 °C-1 and 5 GPa-20 GPa, respectively. After the material properties and boundary conditions were set for the finite element (FE) analysis, the thermal and thermomechanical loading analyses were performed to demonstrate the influence of input parameters on the stress. The maximum values of principal stresses on the restoration-enamel junction and the restoration were evaluated. The results were statistically processed using analysis of variance, response surface methodology (RSM) and optimisation analysis to estimate the most optimum inputs for minimising principal stresses.

RESULTS

The study reveals that the location of principal stress occurs at the restoration-enamel junction (REJ) and the restoration changes based on the composite material value of E and CTE due to thermal and thermomechanical stimuli. The REJ showed higher principal stress than restoration during the application of both thermal and thermomechanical stimuli, making it more vulnerable to fracture and failure. Moreover, the study showed non-linear variations in the values and locations of principal stresses due to thermal and thermomechanical stimuli with the change in the property of the restoration composite used. Finally, this study derived an optimised restorative value for CTE and E due to the application of thermal and simultaneous thermal and mechanical stimuli.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the importance of choosing the suitable material properties of the restoration composite by dental clinicians to repair a large class MOD cavity. The findings from this study also suggest that the difference in the values of E and CTE in a dental restoration composite when compared with the enamel causes a lack of uniformity in mechanical and thermal properties, thereby forming stress concentrations at the interfaces. The study establishes two optimised CTE and E values for the MOD restoration composite as 25 × 10-6 °C-1 and 20 GPa and 37 × 10-6 °C-1 and 5 GPa, respectively.

Breakthroughs in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

In the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery, continuous advances have ushered in a new era of innovation, profoundly influencing this branch of medicine [...].

[Compressive stress in three types of finishing lines with lithium disilicate crowns in permanent teeth: finite element analysis]

Introduction

In oral rehabilitation, the use of ceramic restorations is widely accepted due to its aesthetic capacity to mimic the naturalness of the dental tissue, provide longevity of the material, and present a greater marginal fit compared to crowns with a metal structure. Termination lines are biological preparations whose function is to minimize the cervical opening of the marginal seal. Consequently, analyzing the behavior of restorative materials under compressive forces decreases the risk of fracture and increases the success of the treatment.

Objective

To compare the compressive stresses of lithium disilicate crowns with three different finishing lines.

Methodology

In silico study of the simulation of a dental preparation on a lower right first molar with chamfer (0.6 mm), shoulder (0.5 mm) and deep chamfer (0.5 mm) finish lines. Using the SolidWorks®️ version 2017 software, the maximum stresses, minimum stresses, and location of the compressive force were collected on the Megapascal (Mpa) measurement scale.

Results

The chamfer type termination line (0.6mm) obtained a lower compressive stress compared to the other two shoulder type termination lines (0.5mm) and deep chamfer (0.5mm).

Conclusions

It was shown that the chamfer type finishing line (0.6mm) presented a better force distribution, determining greater reliability in the selection of this finishing line with the use of a lithium disilicate crown in a unitary manner.

Development of reduced volume endosseous cuspid tooth implant using topology optimization by SIMP technique for improved osseointegration

The article aims to design and develop a topology-optimized endosseous cuspid tooth implant of the maxilla region. The manuscript presents a numerical analysis of the resulting von Mises stresses and effective strain resulting in the topology-optimized implant with occlusal loading of 110 N. Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) method is employed for topology optimization and four different models, namely model-1, model-2, model-3, and model-4, are developed based on volume reduction rates of 8%, 16%, 24%, and 32%, respectively. FEA results highlight that the maximum stress and strain in the screw increases with volume reduction rates. The comparative analyses of the resulting stresses in the compact and cancellous bone along with the strain in the screw led to the conclusion that model-1, model-2, and model-3 resulted in moderate stresses on compact and cancellous bone compared to the original model of the implant. However, the screw and bones are subjected to maximum stress and strain in the model-4. The study concludes that model-2, with 16% reduced volume and 14.2% reduced mass as compared to the original implant, may be considered as the optimized design of the model. The resulting model offers a significant reduction in the weight and volume with a minor increase in effective stress and strain without negatively impacting the functionality and bio-mechanical performance of the implant. The optimized dental implant prototype is also fabricated as a proof of concept by the Fused Deposition Modelling process.

Biomaterials and Clinical Application of Dental Implants in Relation to Bone Density-A Narrative Review

Titanium has been the material of choice for dental implant fixtures due to its exceptional qualities, such as its excellent balance of rigidity and stiffness. Since zirconia is a soft-tissue-friendly material and caters to esthetic demands, it is an alternative to titanium for use in implants. Nevertheless, bone density plays a vital role in determining the material and design of implants. Compromised bone density leads to both early and late implant failures due to a lack of implant stability. Therefore, this narrative review aims to investigate the influence of implant material/design and surgical technique on bone density from both biomechanical and biological standpoints. Relevant articles were included for analysis. Dental implant materials can be fabricated from titanium, zirconia, and PEEK. In terms of mechanical and biological aspects, titanium is still the gold standard for dental implant materials. Additionally, the macro- and microgeometry of dental implants play a role in determining and planning the appropriate treatment because it can enhance the mechanical stress transmitted to the bone tissue. Under low-density conditions, a conical titanium implant design, longer length, large diameter, reverse buttress with self-tapping, small thread pitch, and deep thread depth are recommended. Implant material, implant design, surgical techniques, and bone density are pivotal factors affecting the success rates of dental implant placement in low-density bone. Further study is required to find the optimal implant material for a clinical setting's bone state.

In-silico study of type 'B' condylar head fractures and evaluating the influence of two positional screw distance in two-screw osteosynthesis construct

Clinical fixation screws are common in clinical practices to fix mandibular condyle fractures. Evidence suggests significance of 'working length' that is, distance between proximal and distal fixation screws in proximity to the fracture in orthopaedic implant design. In pursuit of stable implant-bone construct, this study aims to investigate the biomechanical performance of each configuration considered in the study and provide an optimal working length between the screws for clinical reference. Finite element models of virtually designed broken condyle as type 'B' were simulated and analysed in ANSYS Workbench. Screws are implanted according to previous literature at five varied distances 'd' maintaining five different ratios with the fracture length 'D'. Based on a literature review, boundary conditions, muscle traction forces and non-linear contacts were assigned to obtain precise results. Each case is considered an individual configuration and von Mises distribution, microstrain in bone, screw-bone interface micromotion and fracture dislocation were evaluated for all these configurations. Stress-shielding phenomenon is observed for maximum von Mises stresses in bone. Microstrain concentration was significant in cancellous bone in the vicinity of the screw around the fracture line. Configurations were compared based on the stress-strain along with micromotion to support the required amount of osseointegration between implant and bone. Presented data from all five conditions supported the assumption that under physiological loading conditions, the D3 configuration provided stability for fracture healing. Further research on screw shapes, diameters and material properties, or investigating the direction of forces within the screws could provide further insight into this topic.

Design and analysis of multi-material structures of 3D printed implants of mandible

Significant advances in 3D printing technology have paved the way for improvements in the integrity and biological characteristics of polymer implants. The principal objective of this research is the construction of a heterogeneous implant structure using a multi-material approach and 3D printing. Due to their advantageous strength-to-weight ratio, biocompatible polymers have an increasing application in the field of medicine. The osteo-integration process, in which implants bind to the bone over time, can be made more effective by incorporating these materials into implants. In this work, we focused especially on analyzing the strength and integrity of polymer material implants that were created using a combination of different materials, and their stress distribution, and the deformation of these multi-material structures when they were subjected to physiological loading through finite element analysis. The evidence from the frontal bite condition has led to some fascinating conclusions. The variations in stress were observed in homogenous structures, with values ranging from 37.42 MPa for the TPU to 41.07 MPa for the PETG. In contrast, stress distributions in multi-material constructions ranged from 52.31 MPa (in the case of TPU +TPU) to 73.55 MPa (in the case of PLA+ PCL). Similarly, the maximum deformation in homogeneous constructions ranged from 0.81mm (PLA) to 6.85mm (PCL). The deformation of multi-material structures composed of several different materials ranged from 0.68mm (PLA+ PLA) to 5.74 mm (PCL+PCL).These findings provide conclusive evidence that multi-material architectures have a considerable impact on known stress and strain levels. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the combination of PLA+PLA and PLA+PETG displayed deformation that was equivalent to that of the intact bone model while having lower stress levels. The results of this study provide useful information that can be used to select optimal multi-material combinations that can be 3D printed for implants.

Structural optimization of orthopedic hip implant using parametric and non-parametric optimization techniques

This research investigates the reduction in weight of hip implant by the application of parametric and non-parametric optimization techniques. Orthopaedic hip implants can be made from metals, ceramics, composites, or metallic alloys and are generally solid structures. The stiffness of orthopaedic hip implant is a pertaining problem when implanted in the human body as Hip implant are stiffer than bone material and causes stress shielding. This results in bone weakening which causes osteoporosis. Reduction in mass of femur stem results in stiffness reduction of femur stem. Non-Parametric topology optimization results in 34.9% mass reduction and parametric optimization based on Central Composite Design technique in Design of Experiments (DoE) uses hole diameters as parameters and performs structural optimization that results in 22% mass reduction.

Finite element analysis in implant dentistry: State of the art and future directions

OBJECTIVE

To discuss the state of the art of Finite Element (FE) modeling in implant dentistry, to highlight the principal features and the current limitations, and giving recommendations to pave the way for future studies.

METHODS

The articles' search was performed through PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar using specific keywords. The articles were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, after title, abstract and full-text evaluation. A total of 147 studies were included in this review.

RESULTS

To date, the FE analysis of the bone-dental implant system has been investigated by analyzing several types of implants; modeling only a portion of bone considered as isotropic material, despite its anisotropic behavior; assuming in most cases complete osseointegration; considering compressive or oblique forces acting on the implant; neglecting muscle forces and the bone remodeling process. Finally, there is no standardized approach for FE modeling in the dentistry field.

SIGNIFICANCE

FE modeling is an effective computational tool to investigate the long-term stability of implants. The ultimate aim is to transfer such technology into clinical practice to help dentists in the diagnostic and therapeutic phases. To do this, future research should deeply investigate the loading influence on the bone-implant complex at a microscale level. This is a key factor still not adequately studied. Thus, a multiscale model could be useful, allowing to account for this information through multiple length scales. It could help to obtain information about the relationship among implant design, distribution of bone stress, and bone growth. Finally, the adoption of a standardized approach will be necessary, in order to make FE modeling highly predictive of the implant's long-term stability.

Biomechanical performance of Ti-PEEK dental implants in bone: An in-silico analysis

Stress-shielding is caused by a significant mismatch in stiffness between bone tissue and Ti alloy dental implants. Therefore, in this study, a Ti-PEEK composite implant was examined and compared with conventional titanium, to determine the behavior of the host bone. Twelve 3D finite element models were modeled with two conditions of marginal cortical bone (with and without marginal bone loss). Six implant designs were constructed. Implant (A) was made with a conventional design (dense titanium), implants (B), (C) and (D) are designed with Ti-PEEK composite (outer layer made of PEEK and inner structures made of Ti with hexagonal, cylindrical, and cross shapes for implants (B), (C) and (D), respectively), the implant (E) is designed with Ti at the upper half section and PEEK at the bottom half section, and the implant (F) is designed with PEEK at the upper half section and Ti at the bottom half section. An axial load of 200 N was applied to the buccal cusp and central fossa of the occlusal surface. The displacements, stress, and equivalent strain were analyzed at the level of bone tissue. The mechanostat of Frost was used to determine the behavior of the cancellous bone under these biomechanical conditions. Results showed that strains were greater in cancellous bone with marginal bone loss than in healthy bone (w/o MBL). When compared to implants (B)-(F), conventional implant (A) did not produce as much strain. Thus, results and analyses suggest that the Ti-PEEK implants outperform compared with the implant (A) in the case of no marginal bone loss. However, the implants (A) and (E) perform equally in terms of bone loss.

Finite Element Analysis of the Stress Distribution Associated With Different Implant Designs for Different Bone Densities

PURPOSE

The main objective of this study was to investigate the influence of implant design, bone type, and abutment angulation on stress distribution around dental implants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two implant designs with different thread designs, but with the same length and brand were used. The three-dimensional geometry of the bone was simulated with four different bone types, for two different abutment angulations. A 30° oblique load of 200 N was applied to the implant abutments. Maximum principal stress and minimum principal stresses were obtained for bone and Von misses stresses were obtained for dental implants.

RESULTS

The distribution of the load was concentrated at the coronal portion of the bone and implants. The stress distributions to the D4 type bone were higher for implant models. Increased bone density and increased cortical bone thickness cause less stress on bone and implants. All implants showed a good distribution of forces for non-axial loads, with higher stresses concentrated at the crestal region of the bone-implant interface. In implant types using straight abutments there was a decrease in stress as the bone density decreased. The change in the abutment angle also caused an increase in stress.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of different implant threads and angled abutments affects the stress on the surrounding bone and implant. In addition, it was observed that a decrease in density in trabecular bone and a decrease in cortical bone thickness increased stress. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Finite element simulation and statistical investigation of an orthodontic mini-implant's stability in a novel screw design

One of the essential aspects of the mini-implant's successful application is its stability after being installed in the bone. The stability of the mini-implant affected the most by its geometry. In the present research, the effect of the geometry-related parameters of the mini-implant on its lateral displacement is investigated by Finite Element (FE) modeling using ABAQUS software. The parameters studied include length, diameter, pitch, and depth of the screw threads; besides, length and angle of the conical section. The Taguchi method was used to prevent many experiments. The mesh convergence tests and experimental tests confirmed the FE model quantitatively and qualitatively. Mean of means and variance analysis determined the parameters significance and their contribution on the stability. The screw diameter and length have the most contribution to mini-implant' displacement. The effect of screw pitch was less than that for length and diameter. The conical section improved the initial stability by creating compressive stress and additional friction in its surrounding bone. No significant effects on the stability of the mini-implant have been observed for the non-threaded part. By examining the effect of thread depth on its stability by defining the ratio of thread depth to the internal diameter and to maintain the strength of the screw the optimal value for internal to external ratio is set at about 0.7.

Investigation of the Effect of Abutment Angle Tolerance on the Stress Created in the Fixture and Screw in Dental Implants Using Finite Element Analysis

Today, an artificial tooth root called a dental implant is used to replace lost tooth function. Treatment with dental implants is considered an effective and safe method. However, in some cases, the use of dental implants had some failures. The success of dental implants is influenced by several biomechanical factors such as loading type, used material properties, shape and geometry of implants, quality and quantity of bone around implants, surgical method, lack of rapid and proper implant surface's integration with the jaw bone, etc. The main purpose of functional design is to investigate and control the stress distribution on dental implants to optimize their performance. Finite element analysis allows researchers to predict the stress distribution in the bone implant without the risk and cost of implant placement. In this study, the stresses created in the 3A.P.H.5 dental implant's titanium fixture and screw due to the change in abutment angles tolerance have been investigated. The results show that although the fixture and the screw's load and conditions are the same in different cases, the change of the abutment angle and the change in the stress amount also made a difference in the location of maximum stress. The 21-degree abutment puts the fixture in a more critical condition and increases the chance of early plasticization compared to other states. The results also showed that increasing the abutment angle to 24 degrees reduces the stress in the screw, but decreasing the angle to 21 degrees leads to increased screw stress and brings it closer to the fracture.