Tooth Crown Research Articles

Polymorphisms in hormonal-related genes might be associated with variations in permanent tooth crown size.

The variability in tooth crown size (TCS) is influenced by genetic factors and might be regulated by the difference in hormonal response. This study aimed to evaluate the association between variations in TCS of permanent teeth with associated factors and genetic polymorphisms in hormonal-related genes (ESR1, ESR2 and PTH). This cross-sectional study involved dental casts from 86 individuals of both sexes. Dental casts were used to determine the maximum TCS of all fully erupted permanent teeth (except third molars) in the mesiodistal (MD) and buccolingual (BL) dimensions. Data such as sex, ethnicity, dental group (incisor, canine, premolar and molar), dental arch (upper and lower) and genetic polymorphisms of hormonal-related genes were used. The DNA from each patient was collected to evaluate the genetic polymorphisms in ESR1 (rs2234693 and rs9340799), ESR2 (rs1256049 and rs4986938) and PTH (rs694, rs6256 and rs307247) through real-time PCR. The data were submitted to statistical analysis with a significance level of 0.05. In the MD dimension, the sex, dental group and dental arch were associated with variation in TCS (P < .05). In the BL dimension, the sex, dental group, dental arch and polymorphism in rs694 and rs307247 were associated with variation in TCS. In short, this study suggests that genetic polymorphisms of PTH are associated with variations in the BL TCS of permanent human teeth.

An Uncommon a Giant Dentigerous Cyst Associated With Unerupted Canine: A Case Report

Background and Objectives: Dentigerous cyst (DC) is the second most common developmental odontogenic cyst. On radiographic images, it usually seen as a well-defined unilocular radiolucency in the area surrounding the crown of an unerupted tooth. This study aims to report a case of giant DC in a 9-year-old boy who was treated conservatively. Case Report: This study reports a rare case of a mandibular DC associated with the crown of unerupted canine in a 9-year-old boy complained of swelling for about 5 months who had been treated by marsupialization. Conclusion: Conservative treatments for the large inflammatory DCs in children can lead to good results, ensuring the normal development of teeth, and proper bone repair.

Dentinogenesis Imperfecta Associated with Hypophosphatemic Rickets- A Report of the Rarest Case

Rickets is a childhood bone disorder. It is caused due to deficiency of Vitamin D, calcium, and phosphate. Bones become soft and weak and are prone to fracture due to inadequate intake of these nutrients. Rickets result from abnormalities of the growth plate cartilage predominantly affecting longer bones and leading to poor bone growth, defective mineralization, and bony deformities such as bow legs and knock-knees. This case report presents a rare case of a 21-year-old female patient with discoloration and abnormalities of teeth since childhood with hypophosphatemic rickets in early childhood who suffered from subsequent loss of tooth structure and bone deformities. Orthopantomogram revealed bulbous crowns of teeth with cervical constriction, obliterated pulp chambers, and slender roots. X-ray chest revealed decreased costochondral angle suggestive of pigeon chest. Serum calcium and Vitamin D were, but serum phosphorus levels were decreased. The patient was examined by a Physician &amp; Orthopedic Surgeon. On the basis of clinical-radiographic features and serum biochemistry findings, this case was diagnosed as Dentinogenesis Imperfecta associated with Hypophosphatemic Rickets.

Notch Signaling Pathway in Tooth Shape Variations throughout Evolution.

Evolutionary changes in vertebrates are linked to genetic alterations that often affect tooth crown shape, which is a criterion of speciation events. The Notch pathway is highly conserved between species and controls morphogenetic processes in most developing organs, including teeth. Epithelial loss of the Notch-ligand Jagged1 in developing mouse molars affects the location, size and interconnections of their cusps that lead to minor tooth crown shape modifications convergent to those observed along Muridae evolution. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that these alterations are due to the modulation of more than 2000 genes and that Notch signaling is a hub for significant morphogenetic networks, such as Wnts and Fibroblast Growth Factors. The modeling of these tooth crown changes in mutant mice, via a three-dimensional metamorphosis approach, allowed prediction of how Jagged1-associated mutations in humans could affect the morphology of their teeth. These results shed new light on Notch/Jagged1-mediated signaling as one of the crucial components for dental variations in evolution.

The relationship of tooth crown dimensions between first molar and central incisor in maxilla.

The purpose of this study was to investigate a correlation between the cusp dimensions of the first molar and mesiodistal crown diameters of the central incisors in the maxilla. The study materials were composed of dental casts from 29 modern Japanese female subjects with a mean age of 20years and 8months. The mesiodistal crown diameters of the maxillary central incisors were measured. The mesiodistal and bucco-lingual crown diameters and the cusp diameters of the maxillary first molars, such as the paracone, metacone, protocone, and hypocone, were also measured. The crown areas and indices of the first molars were calculated. The Spearman's single rank correlation coefficients between the mean values for the crown dimensions of the first molars and the mesiodistal crown diameters of the central incisors were calculated. The hypocone cusp diameter and the hypocone index were the largest compared to those of the paracone, protocone, and metacone cusps. The bucco-lingual diameter and hypocone cusp diameter of the first molars positively correlated with the mesiodistal crown diameters of the central incisors on the same sides. There were positive correlations between the hypocone index of the first molars and the mesiodistal crown diameters of the central incisors. Based on the results, if a large hypocone is observed in eruption of the maxillary first molars, it will be predictable that of the mesiodistal crown diameter of the maxillary central incisor large.

A Mutation in CACNA1S Is Associated with Multiple Supernumerary Cusps and Root Maldevelopment

Enamel knots and Hertwig epithelial root sheath (HERS) regulate the growth and folding of the dental epithelium, which subsequently determines the final form of tooth crown and roots. We would like to investigate the genetic etiology of seven patients affected with unique clinical manifestations, including multiple supernumerary cusps, single prominent premolars, and single-rooted molars. Oral and radiographic examination and whole-exome or Sanger sequencing were performed in seven patients. Immunohistochemical study during early tooth development in mice was performed. A heterozygous variant (c. 865A>G; p.Ile289Val) in CACNA1S was identified in all the patients, but not in an unaffected family member and control. Immunohistochemical study showed high expression of Cacna1s in the secondary enamel knot. This CACNA1S variant seemed to cause impaired dental epithelial folding; too much folding in the molars and less folding in the premolars; and delayed folding (invagination) of HERS, which resulted in single-rooted molars or taurodontism. Our observation suggests that the mutation in CACNA1S might disrupt calcium influx, resulting in impaired dental epithelium folding, and subsequent abnormal crown and root morphology.

Changes in Small Mammal Communities Over the Last 25,000 Years Show a Complex Relationship Between Composition, Traits, and Aridity

Many ecosystems today face increasingly frequent and extreme droughts. Small mammals can be harbingers of larger ecological changes, making them critical components for conservation. We use the fossil record to explore how small mammal communities respond to aridity changes. Recent, short-term droughts caused small mammals to increase in evenness, as dominant generalist species suffer severe population fluctuations. It has also been hypothesized that with increasing aridity, herbivore tooth crown heights increase to combat wear. Here, we examine community-level changes, including evenness, hypsodonty, and diet across a series of arid-semiarid cycles. We compare two caves: Natural Trap Cave (NTC), which is open and arid, and Samwell Cave (SC), which is closed and forested. Evenness decreased at both caves from the Late Pleistocene to the Late Holocene. At NTC, dietary generalists were more common in the Pleistocene (61%) with herbivores dominating in the Middle (62%) and Late Holocene (57%). However, at SC generalist taxa increased into the Holocene. The Pleistocene community at NTC had the highest percentage of taxa with low tooth crown heights (42%) halving into the Holocene. Changes in hypsodonty and a shift from generalist to herbivorous taxa at NTC do not align with anticipated responses to aridity, which decreased from the Pleistocene to the recent. Functional relationships of these communities to aridity may be more nuanced than previously thought. Bioavailability of water and local vegetation types at NTC can help parse out these trends. Pleistocene precipitation mostly accumulated during the winter, not aiding plant growth. Thus, generalist mammals who could survive on scant, arid-adapted plants and invertebrates dominated. Precipitation through the Holocene shifted to summer accumulation, allowing plants, like grasses, to colonize and herbivorous taxa to increase in abundance with corresponding shifts to high crowned communities.

Rapid post-eruptive maturation of porcine enamel.

The teeth of humans and pigs are similar in size, shape, and enamel thickness. While the formation of human primary incisor crowns takes about 8months, domestic pigs form their teeth within a much shorter time. Piglets are born after 115days of gestation with some of their teeth erupted that must after weaning meet the mechanical demands of their omnivorous diet without failure. We asked whether this short mineralization time before tooth eruption is combined with a post-eruptive mineralization process, how fast this process occurs, and how much the enamel hardens after eruption. To address this question, we investigated the properties of porcine teeth at two, four, and sixteen weeks after birth (N = 3 animals per time point) through analyses of composition, microstructure, and microhardness. We collected data at three standardized horizontal planes across the tooth crown to determine the change of properties throughout the enamel thickness and in relation to soft tissue eruption. Our findings indicate that porcine teeth erupt hypomineralized compared to healthy human enamel and reach a hardness that is similar to healthy human enamel within less than 4weeks.

Anatomically Driven Immediate Implant Placement in the Esthetic Zone: Two Case Reports as Proof of Principle.

Achieving favorable and stable esthetic outcomes with immediate implants used to replace maxillary anterior teeth can be challenging. Osteotomies need to be initiated along the palatal socket wall, and it is often difficult to stabilize initial drilling. An immediate implant was planned for a hopeless maxillary incisor. Using a flapless surgery technique, the tooth was removed and decoronated, and an entry point was made in the root to guide the osteotomy drills. The root was reinserted and stabilized while a precision drill and 2-mm twist drill were used in sequence to drill through the tooth root, establishing the osteotomy location but stopping 3-4 mm short of final depth. The root was then removed, and the final implant bur for a 3.5 × 11.5-mm implant was drilled to depth, engaging the necessary native bone apically. The original tooth crown was then used to prepare and insert a transitional crown. Reinserting the extracted root of a maxillary anterior tooth and using it as a guide for osteotomy preparation is an excellent method to optimally position an immediate implant palatally in the socket wall.

Assessing Impact of Domestic and Non-Native Species on Trait-Environment Relationships Using Hypsodonty and Precipitation Since the Late Pleistocene

Ecosystem function relies in part on aligned relationships between functional traits of animals and the environments in which they live. Studies of trait-environment relationships have largely focused on communities of native species, but domestic and non-native species also play a role in the functioning of modern ecosystems. We use ecometrics, or study of functional trait-environment relationships, to evaluate the impact of domestic and non-native species on community-level trait composition and its relationship with precipitation by comparing four community compositions: modern native, modern native plus domestic, modern native plus non-native, and late Pleistocene (0.126–0.0117 Ma). We integrate large and small herbivorous mammals into a single ecometric model of hypsodonty (i.e., tooth crown height) and annual precipitation (n=8439, r=-0.7, R2=0.4, p&lt;0.001). We hypothesize: 1) ecometric models of modern native communities will differ from those for late Pleistocene communities, 2) inclusion of domestic species will align ecometric relationships with those from the late Pleistocene, 3) inclusion of non-native species will maintain ecometric relationships of modern native communities. We found modern communities of native species have lower hypsodonty values and higher precipitation estimates than late Pleistocene communities. Domestic species shift modern communities toward higher hypsodonty values and lower precipitation estimates like those in the late Pleistocene. Today’s domestics are mostly high-crowned grazing species representative of the fauna lost prior to the Holocene. Non-native species do not shift modern native trait composition or the associated precipitation estimates, illustrating the success of non-native species due to trait alignment with their new environments. Thus, conservation and restoration efforts should consider trait composition of whole communities because it provides unique information to measures of taxonomic composition.

Small Mammal Hypsodonty Ratios Do Not Track Precipitation Changes at Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming

With future climate change, drought events are expected to increase. Hypsodonty is an adaptation in herbivorous mammals for higher crowned teeth, which are better able to process coarse foods. Typically, animals with highly hypsodont teeth are found in arid places. This trait is considered an adaptation to aridity and drought. Many studies examined the spatial distribution of hypsodonty with respect to climate in both ungulates and Glires (rodents and lagomorphs). However, few studies have examined whether spatial trends play out across known climate shifts at a single location. Glires evolved hypsodonty millions of years before ungulates, adapt readily due to short generation times, and have relatively small home ranges, so they may provide more accurate climate predictions. Here, we use Glires from Natural Trap Cave, WY to examine whether community-level changes in hypsodonty reflect known precipitation changes. Additionally, this study investigates the effects of measurement techniques (teeth in-jaw versus out-of-jaw) and tooth wear on hypsodonty measurements. Currently, most hypsodonty studies try to use only completely unworn teeth, which are difficult to find in the fossil record. We find that community-level hypsodonty did change over time, but not in ways that corresponded with established precipitation values at Natural Trap Cave. There were likely other factors driving hypsodonty levels within this community, such as an increasing abundance of grasses with increases in temperature and precipitation. Tooth wear did not seem to have significant effects on hypsodonty measurements across time, and tooth wear only sometimes significantly affected hypsodonty measurements across taxa. With further analysis, it might be conclusively decided that samples can be expanded to somewhat worn teeth. This analysis of hypsodonty as a climate proxy can help shape both its use in future studies and our understanding of how species will respond to future climate changes.

Simulating cookiecutter shark bites with a 3D-printed jaw-dental model

Ectoparasitic cookiecutter sharks (Chondrichthyes: Squaliformes: Dalatiidae; Isistius) share common features for jaw and teeth structure, in particular, robust lower jaws and dignathic heterodonty (upper teeth crowns are more slender and shorter than the broader and longer lower teeth crowns). The jaws and teeth are well suited for feeding by excising a nearly symmetrical oval-flesh bite plug from a variety of prey species including marine mammals, fishes, and squids. There is considerable speculation regarding cookiecutter shark bite dynamics given that natural feeding behavior has not been observed. To elucidate cookiecutter shark bite dynamics, bites were experimentally simulated for the two cookiecutter shark species; the Cookiecutter Shark, Isistius brasiliensis (Quoy JRC, Gaimard, P (1824) Zoologie (3) Imprimerie royale) and the Largetooth Cookiecutter Shark, Isistius plutodus (Garrick JAF, Springer S (1964) Isistius plutodus, a new squaloid shark from the Gulf of Mexico. Copeia 678–682), using three-dimensional printed models of jaws with teeth. Bite simulations were conducted at standardized jaw bite-gape angles and ballistic gelatin was used to approximate prey flesh, from which aspect ratio analysis of bite wound geometrics was used to determine bite wound morphometrics for each species. The simulated bite experiment also was useful for assessing factors that potentially affect cookiecutter shark total length estimates when based on natural bite geometrics. In addition, the mechanics of producing experimental bites provide new insights related to the necessity for cookiecutter sharks to rotate their body to create nearly symmetrical oval bite wounds.

Effects of antiresorptive medications on tooth root formation and tooth eruption in paediatric patients.

Tooth eruption is a pivotal milestone for children's growth and development. This process involves with the formation of the tooth root, the periodontal ligament (PDL) and the alveolar bone, as the tooth crown penetrates the bone and gingiva to enter the oral cavity. This review aims to outline current knowledge of the adverse dental effects of antiresorptive medications. Recently, paediatric indications for antiresorptive medications, such as bisphosphonates (BPs), have emerged, and these agents are increasingly used in children and adolescents to cure pathological bone resorption associated with bone diseases and cancers. Since tooth eruption is accompanied by osteoclastic bone resorption, it is expected that the administration of antiresorptive medications during this period affects tooth development. Indeed, several articles studying human patient cohorts and animal models report the dental defects associated with the use of these antiresorptive medications. This review shows the summary of the possible factors related to tooth eruption and introduces the future research direction to understand the mechanisms underlying the dental defects caused by antiresorptive medications.

3D reconstruction for maxillary anterior tooth crown based on shape and pose estimation networks.

The design of a maxillary anterior tooth crown is crucial to post-treatment aesthetic appearance. Currently, the design is performed manually or by semi-automatic methods, both of which are time-consuming. As such, automatic methods could improve efficiency, but existing automatic methods ignore the relationships among crowns and are primarily used for occlusal surface reconstruction. In this study, the authors propose a novel method for automatically reconstructing a three-dimensional model of the maxillary anterior tooth crown. A pose estimation network (PEN) and a shape estimation network (SEN) are developed for jointly estimating the crown point cloud. PEN is a regression network used for estimating the crown pose, and SEN is based on an encoder-decoder architecture and used for estimating the initial crown point cloud. First, SEN adopts a transformer encoder to calculate the shape relationship among crowns to ensure that the shape of the reconstructed point cloud is precise. Second, the initial point cloud is subjected to pose transformation according to the estimated pose. Finally, the iterative method is used to form the crown mesh model based on the point cloud. The proposed method is evaluated on a dataset with 600 cases. Both SEN and PEN are converged within 1000 epochs. The average deviation between the reconstructed point cloud and the ground truth of the point cloud is 0.22mm. The average deviation between the reconstructed crown mesh model and the ground truth of the crown model is 0.13mm. The results show that the proposed method can automatically and accurately reconstruct the three-dimensional model of the missing maxillary anterior tooth crown, which indicates the method has promising application prospects. Furthermore, the reconstruction time takes less than 11s for one case, demonstrating improved work efficiency.

Apical periodontitis and associated factors in a rural population of southern Brazil: a multilevel analysis.

This study aims to evaluate the association between apical periodontitis (AP) and sociodemographic/clinical factors in a probability sample of individuals living in a rural area of southern Brazilian. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 584 non-edentulous adult individuals who had undergone a full-mouth radiographic survey. Periapical status was analysed using the periapical index (PAI). Endodontic status was evaluated considering the occurrence of voids in the filling material and the root filling length. Crown status was classified based on the presence of caries, restorations, and prosthetic crowns. Sociodemographic variables, frequency of dental care, and periodontal disease were also registered. The data were analysed using hierarchical multilevel Poisson regression analysis. The multilevel structure was composed of three models: sociodemographic variables, clinical variables, and clinical variables adjusted by sociodemographic variables (α = 5%). The prevalence of AP in the sample was 60.45%. AP was significantly associated with age, skin colour, schooling, periodontal disease, and frequency of dental care (P < 0.005). Among the 10,396 teeth evaluated, 868 (8.35%) had AP, which was significantly associated with tooth group, dental arch, crown status, and endodontic treatment (P < 0.005). The prevalence of AP was high in the population studied. An older age, black/brown skin colour, low level of schooling, infrequent dental care, severe periodontal disease, mandibular teeth, posterior teeth, inadequate crown status, and having undergone endodontic treatment were significantly associated with the outcome. Clinical relevance This study about a rural probability sample reinforces that AP is still a recurrent oral health problem.

The prevalence of vestigial teeth in two beaked whale species from the North Atlantic

Abstract Beaked whales, Family Ziphiidae, occur in deep offshore and oceanic seas, where they are very difficult to study, so that much of our knowledge about them is derived from stranded animals. Most beaked whales (e.g., genera Mesoplodon and Ziphius) have only one pair of mandibular teeth. A reduced dentition is widely regarded as an adaptation to suction feeding, primarily on squid. However, vestigial maxillary and mandibular teeth have been recorded in some species. Here, we describe new records of vestigial teeth in 12 Sowerby’s beaked whales, Mesoplodon bidens, and one Cuvier’s beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris, from a total 14 animals of these species, which stranded in 2019–2021 in Scotland. In nine M. bidens some tooth crowns were erupted and mild occlusal wear was visible, whereas pathological teeth were seen in ten individuals. The occurrence of vestigial teeth in Sowerby’s beaked whale appears to be significantly under-recorded, suggesting that vestigial teeth form as part of the normal development of the dentition. The reasons for the under-recording of the occurrence and the possible functionality of vestigial teeth in ziphiids are discussed.

Macroanatomical, Histological and Microtomographic Study of the Teeth of the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis)—Adaptation to Hunting

The present study aimed to characterize the macrostructure and microstructure of the mandibular teeth of the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) and the methods it uses to obtain food. Examinations were performed using a stereoscopic microscope, autofluorescence method, histological method and computed microtomography. A detailed macro- and micro-structural description of V. komodoensis mandibular teeth were made. The mandibular teeth are laterally flattened along their entire length and the dental crown is hooked caudally. The part of the nasal margin of the tooth crown is irregular, while the caudal margin of the tooth is characteristically serrated, except for the tooth base area. There are longitudinal grooves on the lingual and vestibular surfaces up to the lower third of the tooth height. The mandibular tooth is surrounded by a cuff made of the oral mucosa, containing the opening of the venom gland. In the histological structure of the tooth, the enamel covering the tooth crown and the dentin under the enamel are distinguished. The inside of the tooth, except its basal part, is filled with the tooth chamber, while the inside of the lower part of the tooth is filled with plicidentine, which corresponds to external furrows on the enamel. The plicidentine arrangement resembles a honeycomb. A small amount of dentine folds reach up to the tooth apex. Characteristic features of the structure of the mandibular teeth in V. komodoensis may indicate their significant role, in addition to the venom glands, in obtaining food in the natural environment of this species.

Comparing the Outcomes of Conventional Coronectomy and Graft Coronectomy: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Coronectomy is a widely accepted alternative surgical treatment modality in which only the crown of an impacted tooth is removed, leaving the roots and their associated nerve untouched. Uncertainty remains regarding whether intraoperative bone grafting of the coronectomy socket can reduce the incidence of typical postoperative procedure-related complications. Objective: The purpose of this literature review is to compare the outcomes of conventional coronectomy (CC) and grafted coronectomy (GC) in terms of whether adding a bone graft material after coronectomy of impacted mandibular third molars would decrease the incidence of typical complications. Methods: A total of 13 cases identified from electronic databases were included in this review based on their clinical relevance. Results: In general, there were no significant differences between conventional coronectomy and grafted coronectomy regarding the incidence of postoperative morbidities. However, grafted coronectomy with the placement of a bone graft material in the coronectomy socket could significantly decrease the incidence of root migration requiring re-operation of the exposed roots and reduce the preexisting pocket depth distal to the 2nd molar, especially in patients with mesioangular, impacted or horizontal wisdom teeth. Conclusion: According to the existing literature, grafted coronectomy might offer better clinical outcomes and can minimize the typical procedure-related drawbacks of conventional coronectomy while having similar surgical morbidities.

Experiment and Simulation Research on Rock Damage Mechanism in Tooth Indentation

In the oil and gas drilling industry, cemented carbide teeth are one of the most widely used rock-breaking elements. In order to reveal the rock damage mechanism of tooth indentation, a series of tooth indentation experiments were conducted in this study, and an indentation simulation was also conducted as a supplement to the experiment. In the experiment, a new method to observe the inner damage status of the rock was put forward, i.e., utilizing the splitting action of the teeth to avoid unexpected rock damage that may affect the actual experiment results. The load-displacement curves and the damage status of the rock revealed that the wedge tooth was more efficient in fracturing and damaging the rock because the load requirement of the wedge tooth was lower, the narrow tooth crown generated larger specific stress in the rock; that rock-breaking advantage of the wedge tooth resulted from the occurrence of the compacted core and the tension stress generated by the core. According to the simulation results, the plastic strain in the intermediate area between the wedge teeth appeared more concentrated and increased faster, and the rock material beneath the wedge teeth was removed earlier than beneath the conical teeth, indicating that wedge teeth, disposed with proper spacing, can break rock more effectively than the conical teeth. The experiment and simulation results in this paper have proved the advantages of the wedge tooth in rock fracturing and damaging, which will provide technical support for the design and development for the drill bits applied in oil and gas drilling.

Stress Distribution in 5-Unit Fixed Partial Dentures with a Pier Abutment and Rigid and Nonrigid Connectors with Two Different Occlusal Schemes: A Three-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis.

This study aimed to assess stress distribution in 5-unit fixed partial dentures (FPDs) with a pier abutment and rigid (RC) and nonrigid connectors (NRCs) with the canine rise and group function occlusal schemes by finite element analysis (FEA). In this FEA study, a geometrical model of the maxilla with natural teeth and periodontal ligament (PDL) was three-dimensionally designed and meshed by ANSYS and Pro/Engineer software programs. A 5-unit FPD was then designed to replace the lost first premolar and first molar teeth; the second premolar served as a pier abutment, and the canine and second molar served as terminal abutments. Two FPDs were designed with RC and NRC. Each FPD was analyzed with the canine rise and group function occlusal schemes (a total of 4 models). The first and second molars (180 N), premolars (120 N), and canine (80 N) teeth were subjected to progressive vertical and oblique (12-degree) loads, and maximum von Mises stress and strain in teeth and connectors were calculated for each model. The models had 73704 elements and 137732 nodes. The connector design and occlusal scheme had significant effects on stress distribution in FPDs. The highest von Mises stress (73.035 MPa) was recorded in FPD with RC and group function occlusal scheme. The lowest von Mises stress (0.004 MPa) was recorded in FPD with NRC and canine rise occlusal scheme. Oblique forces created greater stress, and FPD with NRC and canine rise occlusal scheme decreased stress in FPD and increased stress in the tooth crown.