The Effect on Bone Stress in Oral Prosthetic Rehabilitation Supported by Different Number of Dental Implants: A Numerical Analysis

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the mechanical behavior of two types of prosthesis as well as the stress distribution on the prostheses’ components and the bone. Two groups were analyzed: in the first group (M1), the prothesis was composed of two implants placed at a distance of 14 mm; in the second group (M2), the prothesis was composed of three implants installed at a distance of 9.7 mm from each other. An axial load of 100 N distributed on the cantilever throughout the region from the distal implant and a 30 N axial load on the implants in the inter-foramen region, were applied in both model 1 and model 2. In both models, the stress was concentrated in the region near the neck of the implant, resulting in a maximum value of 143 MPa in M1 and of 131MPa in M2. In M1, the stress along the bone varied from of -4.7 MPa to 13,57 MPa, whereas in M2, it varied from -10 to 12 MPa. According to the results obtained, the model corresponding to six implants presented a better distribution of bone stress around the implants.