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Comparison of third-order torque simulation with and without a periodontal ligament simulant
Michael G George1, Dan L Romanyk2, Andrew George1
1Undergraduate research assistant, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Introduction:
This in-vitro study presents the development and validation of an artificial tooth-periodontal ligament-bone complex (ATPBC) and comparison of its behavior with that of rigid dowels during third-order torque simulation.
Methods:
ATPBCs were coupled using a 1:1 mixture of room-temperature vulcanization silicone and gasket sealant to act as a periodontal ligament simulant (PDLS). PDLS thicknesses ranging from 0.2 to 0.7 mm, in increments of 0.1 mm (n = 5 for each thickness), were tested using a linear crown displacement procedure. A suitable PDLS thickness was selected for use in third-order torque simulations to compare ATPBC (n = 29) and rigid (n = 24) dowel behavior. Their results were compared for archwire rotations up to 20° for both loading and unloading curves with repeated-measures analysis of variance.
Results:
When used in third-order torque simulations, the ATPBC dowels with a 0.5-mm PDLS thickness showed a statistically significant difference from rigid dowels (P = 0.020), with a 95% confidence interval (0.254, 2.897 N·mm) and a mean difference of 1.575 N·mm.
Conclusions:
Inclusion of a PDLS in an ATPBC resulted in a statistical difference when compared with rigid dowels; however, the region where behavior differed was at low angles of archwire rotation, and the resultant torque was arguably outside a clinically relevant range.
