An “ease-of-use” concept that allows a dentist to perform a patient-specific Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation of the implant - jaw bone interaction is presented.
One reason for implant failure can be exceeding strains in the jaw bone which are induced by the implant’s loading. High strains in the jaw bone for example can lead to a crestal bone loss. Depending on the implant geometry (length, diameter) and the patient-specific jaw bone geometry the biomechanical stressing of the bone tissue is influenced. A well-chosen implant can reduce the loading of the jaw bone and can reduce the risk of implant failure and vice versa.
However, the choice of the implant geometry is typically based on the experience of the dentist and no mechanical issues are considered.
Using the presented concept the dentist can virtually test various implant geometries against each other before the operation is done. This allows him to find in terms of biomechanics the best suited implant. Or, especially in critical situations (low amount of bone) he can judge whether the chosen implant exceeds the allowable stressing. |
