Purpose: To evaluate the stress distribution during chewing in a realistic loading condition on a prosthesis (single-tooth crown) using a static analysis.
Materials and Methods: An all-ceramic crown on the mandibular first molar was selected as the representative prosthesis. First, three contact states (intrusive state, transition state, and extrusive state) were selected from the parametric chewing trajectory. Then, the distance between the antagonistic molars and the normal vectors of the mandibular first molar were calculated by using an automated contact analysis routine (independently developed). Next, normal and tangential forces were defined based on the contact information and the food property. Finally, the static analysis was executed by applying the force and the fixed boundary condition.
Results: The distribution of the occlusal force was nonuniform in the static analysis. Compared to concentrated and uniform loading conditions, the stress distribution of the prosthesis under the nonuniform loading condition revealed new characteristics.
Conclusion: The generation procedure of the static analysis, based on fundamental contact analysis, was well founded. Static analysis with the nonuniform loading condition is more recommended than the other two conditions.
