Abstract

Background: Once inserted and osseointegrated, dental implants become ankylosed, which makes them immobile with respect to the alveolar bone. The present paper describes the development of a new and original implant design which replicates the 3D physiological mobility of natural teeth. The first phase of the test followed the resistance of the implant to mechanical stress as well as the behavior of the surrounding bone. Modifications to the design were made after the first set of results. In the second stage, mechanical tests in conjunction with finite element analysis were performed to test the improved implant design. Methods: In order to test the new concept, 6 titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) implants were produced (milling). The implants were fitted into the dynamic testing device. The initial mobility was measured for each implant as well as their mobility after several test cycles. In the second stage, 10 implants with the modified design were produced. The testing protocol included mechanical testing and finite element analysis. Results: The initial testing protocol was applied almost entirely successfully. Premature fracturing of some implants and fitting blocks occurred and the testing protocol was readjusted. The issues in the initial test helped design the final testing protocol and the new implants with improved mechanical performance. Conclusion: The new prototype proved the efficiency of the concept. The initial tests pointed out the need for design improvement and the following tests validated the concept.

Highlights

  • Dental implants are widely used for oral rehabilitation of edentulous patients [1]

  • The aim of the present study is to propose and test a new implant design

  • The present study describes the first tests ever conducted on this new implant concept and focuses mainly on the macroscopical aspect of the dental implant, as a preliminary phase in its development

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Summary

Introduction

Dental implants are widely used for oral rehabilitation of edentulous patients [1]. Besides the obvious advantages, dental implants have certain shortcomings, making them a constant research subject. While in the early days of modern oral implantology osseointegration was the main concern, present day concepts focus more on improving the implant’s lifespan, reducing bone loss, and increasing patient comfort Such goals can be attained by improving current implant designs to include shock-absorbing mechanisms (stress relievers/breakers) [4]. Obtaining implants that reduce force transfer from the superstructure to the surrounding bone has been a permanent subject of interest for researchers, leading to numerous studies and patents (US5425639A—Dental implant with shock absorbent cushioned interface 1994; US20090208904A1—Dental implant 2009; WO2015066438A1—Double-cushioned dental implant 2015) Work on this subject began in the 1980s with the IMZ implant system and has been going on ever since, including the previously mentioned patents and many others, but there is no currently available shock-absorbing implant for commercial use. The initial tests pointed out the need for design improvement and the following tests validated the concept

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