Comparative evaluation of stress distribution around single piece and two piece titanium and zirconium implants - a three dimensional finite element analysis: An Invitro study

BACKGROUND: Implants are widely used in the field of dentistry. A material of choice for manufacturing dental implants was for long time commercially pure titanium due to its excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties. Sometimes grey colour of titanium can give rise to aesthetic problems. Implant researchers had focussed developing tooth coloured implant materials that improves the aesthetic appearance, biocompatibility and ability to withstand the forces generated in the oral cavity. Zirconia based dental implants are the latest high strength materials introduced into the field of implant dentistry. In order to understand the survival and success rate of these implants, stress distribution pattern around the implants is to be assessed. This invitro study was conducted to evaluate the stress distribution around single piece and two piece zirconia and titanium implant using three dimensional finite element analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three dimensional finite element analysis models of single piece and two piece titanium and zirconia implants surrounded by cortical and cancellous bone were created using ANSYS software version 10. Stress levels were calculated according to Von Mises criteria. A load of 100N was applied in the cingulum region of maxillary central incisor 2 mm from the incisal edge. RESULTS: On applying load on single piece titanium showed mean stress value of 4.08 Mpa, two piece titanium showed mean stress value of 4.43 MPa, single piece Zirconia showed stress value of 3.53 Mpa and two piece Zirconia showed stress value around 3.63 Mpa. When all groups were compared statistically to each other there exists no statistically significant difference between single piece titanium & single piece Zirconia and between two piece Zirconia implants & two piece titanium implants. All groups showed equally comparable effects that is stress distribution of Zirconia is equally comparable to titanium. CONCLUSION: As a conclusion to this study there exist no statistically significant difference in stress distribution between titanium and zirconia, single piece and two piece dental implants. Titanium and Zirconia implants are equally good in distributing stress