A Study on the Stress Distribution of Tooth/Implant Connected with Konus Telescope Denture Using 3-Dimensional Finite Element Method

Lee, Su Ok; Choi, Dae Gyun; Kwon, Kung Rock; Woo, Yi Hyung

Abstract

PURPOSE
For decades dental implants have been used widely in the field of prosthetic dentistry. However there is confusion when establishing treatment plans in cases where some teeth are remained but an insufficient number of implants can be used due to limited anatomical status and ecomomical problems. Many clinicians have tried to connect natural teeth and implants, and it still has controversy. But, there have been few studies on mechanical analysis of connecting natural teeth and implants with konus telescopic removable partial dentures. The purpose of this study was to analyze the stress distribution of prosthesis, abutment and alveolar bone when teeth and implants were connected with the konus telescopic denture, by means of 3-dimensional finite element analysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The assumption of this study was that there were 2 mandibular canine (11 mm in length, 4 mm in diameter) and 2 implants(10 mm in length, 4 mm in diameter) which are located in the second premolar region. The mandible, teeth, implants, abutments, and connectors are modeled, and analyzed with the commercial software, ANSYS Version 8.1(Swanson, Inc., USA). The control group used implants instead of natural teeth. 21038 elements, 23544 nodes were used in experimental group and 107595 elements, 21963 nodes were used in control group, Stress distribution was evaluated under 150 N vertical load on 3 experimental conditions - between teeth and implants (Load case 1), posterior to implants (Load case 2), between natural teeth (Load case 3). RESULTS: 1. In all load cases, higher von mises stress value was observed in the experimental group. 2. Maximum von miss stress observed in all load cases and all locations were as follows ; a. 929.44 Mpa in the experimental group, 640.044 Mpa in the control group in outer crown and connector - The experimental group showed 1.45 times high value compared with the control group. b. 145,051 Mpa in the experimental group, 142.338 Mpa in the control group in abutment - The experimental group showed 1.02times high value compared with the control group. c. 32.489 Mpa in the experimental group, 25.765 Mpa in the control group in alveolar bone - The experimental group showed 1.26times higher value compared with the control group. 3. All maximum von mises stress was observed in load case 2, and maxim von mises stress in alveolar bone was 32.489 Mpa at which implant failure cannot occur. 4. If maximum von mises stress is compared between two groups, the value of the experimental group is 1.02 times higher than the control group in abutment, 1.26 times higher than the control group in alveolar bone. CONCLUSION: If natural teeth and implants are connected with the konus telescopic denture, maximum stress will be similar in abutment, 1.26 times higher in alveolar bone than the control group. With this result, there may be possible to make to avoid konus telescopic dentures where natural teeth and implants exist together.