The use of stress analysis methods to evaluate the biomechanics of oral rehabilitation with implants

Abstract

Abstract Because the biomechanical behavior of dental implants is different from that of natural tooth, clinical problems may occur. The mechanism of stress distribution and load transfer to the implant/bone interface is a critical issue affecting the success rate of implants. Therefore, the aim of this study was to conduct a brief literature review about the available stress analysis methods to study implant-supported prosthesis loading, and to discuss their contributions in the biomechanical evaluation of oral rehabilitation with implants. It was found that several studies have used experimental, analytical and computational models by means of finite element models (FEM), photoelasticity, strain gauges and associations of these methods to evaluate the biomechanical behavior of dental implants. The FEM has been used to evaluate new components, configurations, materials and shape of implants. The greatest advantage of the photoelastic method is the ability to visualize the stresses in complex structures such as oral structures, and to observe the stress patterns in the whole model, allowing to localize and to quantify the stress magnitude. The strain gauges can be used to assess in vivo and in vitro stress in prosthesis, implants and teeth. Some authors use the strain gauge technique associated with either photoelasticity or FEM techniques. These methodologies can be widely applied in Dentistry, mainly in the research field. Therefore, they can guide further researches and clinical studies by predicting some disadvantages and streamlining the clinical time.