Stress distribution in bone: single-unit implant prostheses veneered with porcelain or a new composite material

The purpose of this study was to simulate dynamic and static occlusal loading on one unit fixed, implant-supported prostheses veneered with porcelain and with GRADIA in a 3-dimensional finite element model of the human mandible to analyze and compare the resultant stresses in the superstructures and in the supporting bone. Calculation and visualization of stress, deformation, and displacement of complex structures under simulated forces were evaluated by finite element analysis (FEA) using ANSYS. The device employed was from the OSTEOFIX Dental Implant System (Oulu, Finland), and the veneering materials used were standard dental porcelain and GC GRADIA (Tokyo, Japan), a new composite material. Two different loading conditions were considered: static and transitional or impact, each delivered in three different directions: horizontal (Fh) at 0 degrees , vertical (Fv) at 90 degrees , and oblique (Fo) at 120 degrees . The proportion of the force: magnitude was fh:fv:fo = 1:3.5:7. A vertical load of 500 N, a horizontal load of 143 N, and an oblique load of 1000 N were applied. The results showed that the highest stresses in the bone-implant interface occurred in the region of cortical bone adjacent to the first thread of implants in all models and varied within 6.5%. Maximum stresses and displacements were higher (7%) in those models with statically loaded implants as compared with those that had been dynamically loading. The direction of loading played a major role in determining stress levels and they varied at up to 85%. It was shown that with dynamic loads, the peak of 1.568 mm was registered in the model with the GRADIA veneering material. This displacement was 6.5% higher than that found with the Vita VMK 68 veneers. These results suggest that the implant superstructure-fixed single crown veneering materials-porcelain and GRADIA played minor influences to the displacements and stresses in the implant supported bone with a 1% variance. One of the reasons for this element resulting in so minor a contribution to stress relief was the relatively small volume of the veneers as compared with the far greater volume and stiffness of the superstructures and implants. One of the advantages of GC GRADIA is that it reduces impact force under dynamic load up to a 6.5%.