Affiliations: [a] Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica, Universidade de Aveiro, Portugal | [b] Instituto Politécnico de Saúde do Norte, Paredes, Portugal | [x] Mechanical Engineering Faculty, Laboratory for Materials Technology, University of Applied Science, Regensburg, Germany | [y] University Clinic, Department of Traumatology, Regensburg, Germany
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: José António de Oliveira Simões, Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal. Tel.: +351 234 370830; Fax: +351 234 370953; E-mail: simoes@mec.ua.pt.
Abstract: The performance of a tooth replacement by using a dental implant relies on the mechanical and biological capability of the anatomical substitute to restore lost physiological functions. The design of an implant device able to properly replace the physiological tooth requires the study of the load transfer mechanism at the implant-bone interface and the understanding of the relevance of the periodontal ligament (PDL) in this mechanism. The PDL is a connective soft tissue that provides the fixation of the tooth in its bone-socket and the attenuation of occlusal loads. It also provides the ground cells that are involved in the remodelling process, induced by a change in the stress-strain pattern of the alveolar bone and also in the cementum of the tooth root. The purpose of this study was to determine the PDL effects on the dynamic load transfer mechanism, from the tooth to the alveolar bone, evaluating the equivalent dynamic stiffness of the ligament structure. A porcine fresh mandible with a tooth was used within the study, applying an experimental procedure to identify the dynamic transmissibility of the entire system. The transmissibility function provided information about the stiffness and damping of the PDL, information that can assist the design of an improved dental implant system.
