ABSTRACT
Dental implants are mostly fabricated of titanium. Potential problems associated with these implants are discussed in the literature, for example, overloading of the jawbone during mastication due to the significant difference in the elastic moduli of titanium (110 GPa) and bone (≈1-30 GPa). Therefore poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) could represent an alternative biomaterial (elastic modulus 3-4 GPa). Endolign(®) represents an implantable carbon fiber reinforced (CFR)-PEEK including parallel oriented endless carbon fibers. According to the manufacturer it has an elastic modulus of 150 GPa. PEEK compounds filled with powders show an elastic modulus around 4 GPa. The aim of the present finite element analysis was to point out the differences in the biomechanical behavior of a dental implant of Endolign(®) and a commercial powder-filled PEEK. Titanium served as control. These three materials were used for a platform-switched dental implant-abutment assembly, whereas Type 1 completely consisted of titanium, Type 2 of a powder-filled PEEK and Type 3 of Endolign(®). A force of 100 N was applied vertically and of 30° to the implant axis. All types showed a minimum safety factor regarding the yield strength of cortical bone. However, within the limits of this study the Type 2 implant showed higher stresses within the adjacent cortical bone than Type 1 and Type 3. These implant assemblies showed similar stress distributions. Endless carbon fibers give PEEK a high stability. Further investigations are necessary to evaluate whether there is a distinct amount of endless carbon fibers causing an optimal stress distribution behavior of CFR-PEEK.
Subject(s)
Dental Abutments , Dental Implants , Elastic Modulus , Finite Element Analysis , Ketones , Mandible/physiology , Polyethylene Glycols , Adult , Benzophenones , Biomechanical Phenomena/physiology , Carbon , Carbon Fiber , Dental Implant-Abutment Design , Humans , Male , Mandible/diagnostic imaging , Models, Biological , Polymers , Stress, Mechanical , Titanium , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This in vitro study aimed to predict the potential of fracture initiation after long-term incubation (LTI) of lithium-disilicate restorations due to a hygroscopic expansion of self-adhesive resin cement (SARC) used as core build-up material. METHODS: Human maxillary central incisors were divided into four groups (n = 10). Teeth were endodontically treated and decoronated. Specimens were restored in a one-stage post-and-core procedure using experimental dual-curing SARC. Three application protocols to build up the core were compared as follows: I, auto-polymerisation; II, dual curing including 40 s light-initiated polymerisation; and III, an open matrix technique in a dual-curing mode. In group IV, a chemical-curing composite core build-up material served as control. For all specimens, a 2-mm ferrule design was ensured. Full anatomic lithium-disilicate crowns were adhesively luted. One-year LTI in 0.5 % chloramine solution at 37 °C was performed. Restorations were examined after 3, 6, 9 and 12 month of storage. Survival rates were calculated using log-rank statistics (p = 0.05). RESULTS: Fifty per cent of lithium-disilicate crowns of groups I and II showed visible crack propagation after 9 months of incubation, while one crown failed in group III. No failure was observed in group IV. The survival rates differed significantly (p = 0.017). CONCLUSION: SARC used to build up the core of severely damaged endodontically treated teeth does have the potential to cause fracture of lithium-disilicate crown restorations. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Hygroscopic expansion of self-adhesive resin cements used as a core build-up material might have an adverse impact on longevity of glass-ceramic crowns.
