Reduced-diameter dental implants have an outer diameter less than 3.75 mm. They are useful for replacing teeth that have small cervical diameters, especially in anterior locations. In the anterior, the width of the alveolar ridge is often insufficient to place a standard-diameter implant, so reduced-diameter implants avoid the need for bone augmentation surgery and thus avoid the additional cost and six-month wait prior to implant placement. However, reduced-diameter implants suffer from a much greater incidence of mechanical complications compared with standard-diameter implants. These complications include loosening and/or fracture of the implant-abutment connector screw. Fortunately, our preliminary data suggest that the design of the implant-abutment connection in reduced-diameter implants can be optimized to increase their lifetime. We previously conducted a five-year project on more efficient methods of evaluating the mechanical reliability of dental implants by (1) validating the accuracy of implant lifetime prediction performed using finite element stress analysis combined with fatigue post-processing software and (2) validating the accelerated lifetime testing of physical specimens performed using a combination of overstress acceleration and usage rate acceleration. We accomplished those aims, which provided us with a powerful set of tools for addressing the design optimization of reduced-diameter dental implants. In the currently proposed project, we will use finite element modeling to screen 25 implant design parameters to determine which parameters should be used as experimental factors in design optimization of reduced- diameter dental implants. The candidate parameters were identified by fatigue testing of four types of reduced- diameter dental implants and testing design parameters for significant association with fatigue lifetime. Second, we will identify the optimal combination of design parameters that corresponds to the maximum predicted fatigue lifetime for reduced-diameter dental implants. We will use Artificial Neural Networks that have been trained using the results of our finite element analyses to perform design optimization and will compare that method with Response Surface Methodology. Third, we will validate the virtual models by using accelerated lifetime testing (ALT) of physical specimens to compare the performance of our optimized implant with a commercially available benchmark in simulated bone. Fourth, we will also test our optimized prototype in cadaver bone to validate our novel simulated bone holder material for future implant fatigue studies.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01DE026144-01A1
Application #
9737613
Study Section
Oral, Dental and Craniofacial Sciences Study Section (ODCS)
Program Officer
Lopez, Orlando
Project Start
2019-04-01
Project End
2024-03-31
Budget Start
2019-04-01
Budget End
2020-03-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2019
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Department
Dentistry
Type
Schools of Dentistry/Oral Hygn
DUNS #
928824473
City
Jackson
State
MS
Country
United States
Zip Code
39216