Investigating inlay designs of class II cavity with deep margin elevation using finite element method

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials science
• Computational dentistry
• Mechanical engineering

Background:

• Deep margin elevation (DME) is a technique used for restoring carious cavities near the gum line.
• Understanding the biomechanical performance of DME restorations is crucial for clinical success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the mechanical performance of the deep margin elevation technique.
• To investigate the effects of inlay shape design and material selection on mechanical performance.
• To provide biomechanical design guidelines for DME restorations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a computational approach with design of experiments.
• Defined seven geometric design parameters for premolar inlays.
• Investigated composite resin, ceramic, and lithium disilicate materials.
• Performed finite element analysis (FEA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Main Results:

• A larger isthmus width significantly enhanced mechanical performance across all tested inlay materials.
• The influence of other design parameters was dependent on the inlay material.
• The height of the deep margin elevation layer showed an insignificant effect on mechanical performance.

Conclusions:

• Proper inlay geometric design can improve restored tooth mechanical performance and potentially reduce dentin excavation.
• The deep margin elevation layer's height did not significantly impact tooth strength under the evaluated loading conditions.