Finite element modeling technique for predicting mechanical behaviors on mandible bone during mastication

Area of Science:

• Biomechanical Engineering
• Dental Mechanics
• Computational Anatomy

Background:

• Accurate prediction of stress distribution in the teeth and mandible is crucial for understanding oral function.
• Existing methods may lack efficiency or accuracy in simulating complex biomechanical interactions during mastication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a cost-efficient finite element (FE) modeling method for predicting stress distributions.
• To simulate stress and strain on teeth and mandible under chewing actions.

Main Methods:

• Generation of 3D FE models from CT images of the skull.
• Static analysis incorporating linear material behavior and nonlinear geometrical effects.
• Parametric studies to determine optimal boundary and loading conditions, mimicking masseter muscle action.

Main Results:

• Optimized boundary conditions involved fixing teeth and specific mandible regions, including the condyloid process.
• FE analysis demonstrated good agreement between predicted and experimental strain distributions in teeth.
• The model successfully simulated stress and strain patterns under chewing loads.

Conclusions:

• A validated, cost-efficient FE modeling method for analyzing teeth and mandible biomechanics under chewing action has been established.
• This method provides a reliable tool for evaluating the structural safety of dental prostheses.