title: Effects of posts on dentin stress distribution in pulpless teeth.
abstract: A finite element analysis was carried out to study the roles of posts in reducing dentin stress in pulpless teeth. Two-dimensional plane strain models of the midlabiolingual section of a human maxillary central incisor were first analyzed. The results showed that the gold alloy post reduced maximal dentin stress by as much as 30%. However, the integrity of the dentin was compromised and the effects of the post were likely to be exaggerated in such models. In an effort to correct for these problems, plane stress models with side plates and axisymmetric models were analyzed. Posts were found to reduce maximal dentin stress by only 3% to 8% when the teeth were subjected to masticatory and traumatic loadings in these latter models. Although posts reduced maximal dentin stress by as much as 20% when the teeth were loaded vertically, teeth such as incisors and canines normally are not subjected to vertical loadings. Thus the reinforcement effects of posts seem to be doubtful in these teeth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang-Ming Medical College, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D001732:Bite Force; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D003804:Dentin; D004548:Elasticity; D006047:Gold Alloys; D006801:Humans; D011176:Post and Core Technique; D013193:Stainless Steel; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D006047:Gold Alloys; D013193:Stainless Steel