The Effect of Dental Implant Materials and Thread Profiles—A Finite Element and Statistical Study

Finite element analysis was performed to investigate the stress transfer of various thread profiles and material properties of dental implant system to the surrounding mandibular bone, followed by statistical analysis to examine the relationship of the two factors. Three-dimensional (3D) model of the posterior segment of the mandible covering a region of interest between the second premolar and the second molar was developed from computed tomography dataset. Dental implants made of two different materials–titanium alloy and zirconia–were designed with four different thread profiles–buttress, reverse buttress, sinusoidal and square. An occlusal load was applied at the top of the crown and the model was constrained at the mesial, distal and inferior region. Analysis of the mean showed that stress varied significantly with the material of dental implant system (P < 0001) and the thread profile (P < 0001). Dental implants made of zirconia had a higher mean stress at the implant body compared to those made of titanium, as well as lower mean stress at the bone.