Finite element analysis: A boon to dentistry

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThe finite element analysis (FEA) is an upcoming and significant research tool for biomechanical analyses in biological research. It is an ultimate method for modeling complex structures and analyzing their mechanical properties. In Implantology, FEA has been used to study the stress patterns in various implant components and also in the peri-implant bone. It is also useful for studying the biomechanical properties of implants as well as IntroductionThe finite element analysis (FEA) is an upcoming and significant research tool for biomechanical analyses in biological research. It is an ultimate method for modeling complex structures and analyzing their mechanical properties. FEA has now become widely accepted as a non-invasive and excellent tool for studying the biomechanics and the influence of mechanical forces on the biological systems. It enables the visualization of superimposed structures, and the stipulation of the material properties of anatomic craniofacial structures. 1 It also allows to establish the location, magnitude, and direction of an applied force, as it may also assign stress points that can be theoretically measured. 2 Further, as it does not affect the physical properties of the analyzed materials it is easily repeatable. 2,3The finite element method (FEM) is basically a numerical method of analyzing stresses and deformations in the structures of any given geometry. The structure is discretized into the so called 'finite elements' connected through nodes. The type, arrangement and total number of elements impact the accuracy of the results. 4 The steps followed are generally constructing a finite element model, followed by specifying appropriate material properties, loading and boundary conditions so that the desired settings can be accurately simulated. Various engineering software packages are available to model and simulate the structure of interest may be implants or jawbone. Previously, when FEA was used in dentistry, various simplified assumptions were made regarding modeling geometry, load, boundaries and material properties.5 Such assumptions inevitably affected the analytical results. In the human body, there are individual variations with respect to E-mail address: shilpa.knp@gmail.com.Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect journal homepage: www.e lsevier.com/locate/jobcr j o u r n a l o f o r a l b i o l o g y a n d c r a n i o f a c i a l r e s e a r c h 4 ( 2 0 1 4 ) 2 0 0 e2 0 3http://dx

Biomechanical behavior of indirect composite materials: a 3D-FEA study

“…A finite element analysis is a cheaper, smart and adequate study tool to understand the biomechanical behavior of different resins. The in silico study can assist the understanding of different biomechanical conditions [30], and even if it is impossible to include all variables of the oral environment in a computational analysis, the joining conditions and the individual properties of the materials are already significant to evaluate your properties [31].…”

Novel non-invasive reinforcement of MOD cavities on endodontically treated teeth

“…Most of the new engineering concepts pass by this phase as it is a good tool to optimize the designs, to increase the accuracy and to reduce the number of physical prototypes. In dentistry, it is often applied and validated by comparing FEAresults with in vitro results [12,13]. For this study, it was crucial to limit the variables between the groups to the restorative technique only, to confirm whether the technique is beneficial or not.…”

Evaluación de la distribución de esfuerzos de una restauración inmediata implantosoportada en tres fases de cicatrización. Análisis de elementos finitos

“…El mef permite realizar un modelo matemático de cálculo del sistema real, más fácil y económico de modificar que un prototipo. Sin embargo, no deja de ser un método aproximado de cálculo debido a las hipótesis básicas del método (11,12). Junes Abdul Villarraga Ossa, Juan Gustavo Diosa Peña Revista Nacional de Odontología Se decide trabajar con la casa comercial Zimmer® debido a que el grupo de investigación tiene modelado el implante y pilar, estos se han estado refinando y mejorando con los años, lo que facilito el montaje de todo el modelo a estudiar.…”