Influence of Placement of Ultrashort Implant at Sub-Crestal, Crestal and Supra-Crestal Level with Titanium or Polyetheretherketone Hybrid Abutment: 3D Finite Element Analysis

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the stress concentration of short dental implants supporting different conical abutments using 3D finite element analysis (3D-FEA). A tridimensional model of single-unit short dental implants (5.2 mm × 5 mm) was designed using the computer-aided design (CAD) software based on the manufacturer’s stereolithography. The short implants were positioned in a bone model to support titanium or ceramic-reinforced PEEK conical abutments considering different bone levels (supra-crestal, crestal or sub-crestal). With the aid of a computer-aided engineering (CAE) software, the finite element model was created and an axial load of 500 N was applied. Observing the mechanical response of the implant, abutment and screw, both evaluated materials resulted in homogeneous stress and could be indicated for implant-supported restorations with short fixtures. However, aiming to decrease the strain in the bone tissue, placing the implant in the sub-crestal position is a preferable option; while the supra-crestal placement decreases the stress at the screw and implant.