PubMed-ID: 19418869Seiten: 201-203, Sprache: EnglischKeilig, Ludger / Stark, Helmut / Bayer, Stefan / Utz, Karl-Heinz / Strazza, Mathias / Grüner, Manfred / Bourauel, ChristophThe aim of this research was to study the impact of loading on partial dentures within the supporting soft tissue with respect to different attachment techniques. A finite element model was developed to calculate the stress and strain distribution in this tissue. The model consisted of the left half of a mandible with three remaining teeth that had suffered an atrophy in the anterior region, and a partial denture over the toothless area that was connected at the left mandibular canine using an attachment system. Resulting stress/strain distributions are presented for different load cases using a commercially available prefabricated attachment system.