Inverse analysis of dental implant systems using finite element method

Abstract

Dental implant designs and implant-bone interface properties are the main factors governing the long-term success of implants. However, influence of variety of these factors has yet to be fully elucidated. Motivated by its application in stress analysis, finite element analysis (FEA) is used to study implant-bone structure biomechanics in this dissertation. After reviewing basic concepts/applications of FEA in implant dentistry, it investigates the biomechanics of various implant designs under different loading levels using FEA. Combining FEA and neural network, an inverse procedure is proposed to identify anisotropy of implant-bone interface nondestructively. Considering the biological changes of osseointegration layer and effects of various implant designs, a novel FEA model is conceived to predict implant stability. This model is further developed to a non-contact method for implant stability assessment. The presented models have been effectively to study different implant designs and monitor the osseointegration process, which provides useful information for clinical practice.