Stress Distribution in Reduced Periodontal Supporting Tissues Surrounding Splinted Teeth

The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution of occlusal stresses for splinted and nonsplinted mandibular anterior incisors and to compare different splinting materials. A mandibular model was generated from a patient's computed tomography scan using three-dimensional (3D) software. The mandibular model presented with four periodontally compromised incisors and two canines with optimal bone support (two-thirds crown-root ratio). Three different splint materials (composite resin, metal-reinforced, and fiber-reinforced) were selected. Vertical and transverse loads were applied, and stress levels around the periodontal structures and splint materials were analyzed with 3D finite element analysis. The results showed that when bone levels around teeth decreased, the stress on the canine increased. Tested splinting materials were successful in stress distribution, and metal was better than the other splinting materials at distributing the stresses.