title: Fracture simulation of restored teeth using a continuum damage mechanics failure model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper is to validate the use of a finite-element (FE) based continuum damage mechanics (CDM) failure model to simulate the debonding and fracture of restored teeth.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fracture testing of plastic model teeth, with or without a standard Class-II MOD (mesial-occusal-distal) restoration, was carried out to investigate their fracture behavior. In parallel, 2D FE models of the teeth are constructed and analyzed using the commercial FE software ABAQUS. A CDM failure model, implemented into ABAQUS via the user element subroutine (UEL), is used to simulate the debonding and/or final fracture of the model teeth under a compressive load. The material parameters needed for the CDM model to simulate fracture are obtained through separate mechanical tests. The predicted results are then compared with the experimental data of the fracture tests to validate the failure model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The failure processes of the intact and restored model teeth are successfully reproduced by the simulation. However, the fracture parameters obtained from testing small specimens need to be adjusted to account for the size effect. The results indicate that the CDM model is a viable model for the prediction of debonding and fracture in dental restorations.
authors.affiliation: Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics, School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States. lixx0775@umn.edu
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jianying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhenmin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Alex Siu-Lun
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Fok
mesh_terms: D019245:Compressive Strength; D003198:Computer Simulation; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000009:adverse effects; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D006801:Humans; D003765:Models, Dental; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014082:Tooth Fractures / Q000209:etiology*; D014093:Tooth, Artificial