Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyze the stress and strain inside of the oral mucosa in partially-edentulous patients. The patient-specific finite element models of the mucosa and the bone were constructed using the CT images and in-vivo surface measurement during a continuous load. The mean initial shear modulus of 8.3 × 10–5 (GPa) and the mean relaxation time of 503 (s) were determined as the viscoelastic properties of the mucosa. The increase of the highest maximum compressive strain during the continuous loading was observed in all the patients, however; the intensity of strain was not in accordance with the thickness of the mucosa. It is suggested that the variations of the morphology and the initial modulus of the mucosa should be considered in the mathematical approaches to detect the mechanical responses of the oral mucosa.
Highlights
When wearing either conventional or implant-supported removable prostheses, the oral mucosa becomes a significant source of the masticatory force and performs functions that are normally undertaken by the periodontal structures when natural teeth exist
Within the limitations of the study design using the segmented small mucosal volumes of three subjects, the result of this study suggests that the initial modulus as a part of the viscoelastic property is one of the determinant factors of the strain magnitude inside of the soft tissues
The subject-specific finite element (FE) method with loading experiment demonstrated that the surface displacement and the strain intensity during the continuous load exhibited typical viscoelastic behavior in the masticatory mucosa of the partially edentulous patients
Summary
When wearing either conventional or implant-supported removable prostheses, the oral mucosa becomes a significant source of the masticatory force and performs functions that are normally undertaken by the periodontal structures when natural teeth exist. The stress and strain inside of the mucosa that are directly related to the tissue damage have not been sufficiently evaluated. The soft tissue was rapidly compressed with relatively light force while light loads for long durations deform the tissues more than heavy loads for short durations. This nonlinear response often makes the calculation of the stress and strain a tremendously complex process. In a previous study,[6] a nonlinear finite element (FE) model of the masticatory mucosa was developed based on the load–displacement relationship of the surface of the mucosa, and all five subjects in that study demonstrated the viscoelastic characteristics of the strain intensity inside of the mucosa. The influence of variations in the viscoelastic property on the stress and strain of the soft tissues among individual patients has not been assessed
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