Mechanical Responses of Periodontal Ligament under A Realistic Orthodontic Loading

AbstractThe aim of this research was to investigate the initial mechanical responses in periodontal ligament (PDL) under a realistic orthodontic loading for two parallel forces. The finite element (FE) model including maxillary, central incisor and PDL was created based on the computed tomography and reverse engineering. The material behavior of the PDL was considered to be hyperelastic. In order to evaluate the stresses derived from two parallel forces, the comparison with the stresses under simplified concentrated force was made. The results showed that the stress distributions of the PDL calculated by ABAQUS with the two types of loads were similar, but the stress level in the PDL for two parallel forces was a bit higher than that for concentrated force. So the two parallel forces could reflect more accurately the root resorption in actual clinical treatment. The stresses and the strains were concentrated in the areas near the alveolar crest and the root apex in the lingual-buccal PDL