title: Experimental and numeric stress analysis of titanium and zirconia one-piece dental implants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the stress in bone around zirconia and titanium implants under loading.
  
  
  METHODS
  A one-piece zirconia implant and a replica of the same implant made of commercially pure titanium were embedded in two self-curing acrylic resin blocks. To measure strain, a strain gauge was applied on the surface of the two samples. Loads of 50, 100, and 150 N, with orientations of 30, 45, and 60 degrees with respect to the implant axis were applied on the implant. Strain under all loading conditions on both samples was measured. Three-dimensional virtual replicas of both the implants were reproduced using the finite element method and inserted into a virtual acrylic resin block. All the materials were considered isotropic, linear, and elastic. The same geometry and loading conditions of the experimental setup were used to realize two new models, with the implants embedded within a virtual bone block.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Very close values of strain in the two implants embedded in acrylic resin were obtained both experimentally and numerically. The stress states generated by the implants embedded in virtual bone were also very similar, even if the two implants moved differently. Moreover, the stress levels were higher on cortical bone than on trabecular bone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The stress levels in bone, generated by the two implants, appeared to be very similar. From a mechanical point of view, zirconia is a feasible substitute for titanium.
authors.affiliation: Departmernt of Prosthodontics, Dental School, Dental Clinic, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. nicola.mobilio@unife.it
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mobilio
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stefanoni
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Contiero
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mollica
authors.forename: Santo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Catapano
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D001842:Bone and Bones; D015921:Dental Implants; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D006801:Humans; D014025:Titanium; D015040:Zirconium
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D015921:Dental Implants; D015040:Zirconium; D014025:Titanium; C028541:zirconium oxide