Development of Patient-Specific Finite Element Model for Study of Composite Dental Implants.

Traumatic dental injuries can occur due to various reasons such as accidents, sports injuries, fights, falls, and others. These injuries can affect the tooth, gums, and surrounding tissues, and can range from minor chips and cracks to severe fractures, dislocations, and avulsions (when the tooth is completely knocked out of the socket). The most common way to address this is by replacing affected tooth with dental implant. In this work two different implant category i.e., traditional implant and composite implant were designed using Titanium grade 4, zirconium oxide-reinforced lithium silicate (ZLS), and Zirconia (ZrO2). Six dental implants were designed namely Ti implant, ZLS implant, ZrO2 implant, Ti-ZrO2 composite, Ti-ZLS composite, and ZLS-ZrO2 composite using 3D modelling software like SolidWorks. A detailed full- scale 3D model of patient specific maxilla and incisor tooth were developed using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images. Two models were developed, first with left incisor, right incisor, and central incisor embedded in maxilla, and second by central incisor interchanged with dental implant in first model. Both these models were developed to characterize the effect of different material properties for dental implant and comparison with normal tooth model. Traumatic loading conditions were applied to the enamel of central incisor tooth or crown of dental implant, and Maxilla was constrained in all directions. It was found that the use of composite for dental implant can have reduced stress over the surface of abutment and implant as compared to traditional implant. The findings of this study can assist dental practitioners and researchers for developing a patient's specific model and use of composite material for dental implant.&#xD.