Objectives: The aim of the present work was set to explore the role of root diameter, root length, and thickness of periodontal ligament (PDL) and its material properties (linear and non-linear elastic material models) on the stress and strain distribution, tooth displacement and centre of resistance (CR) location.
Setting and sample population: Both the bone and the tooth were considered as rigid bodies, and the PDL was modelled as a paraboloid with different geometric dimensions and material properties.
Materials and methods: To achieve this goal, a horizontal force of 1 N was applied in the CR location and the stress and strain distribution and tooth displacement were quantified. Locations of CR were estimated through iterative finite element procedure.
Results: It was predicted that the position of CR is in the range of 34%-39% of the root length, slightly higher than one-third of the root length reported in the literature. The geometrical dimensions of the PDL had no significant effect on the position of CR, especially in the non-linear material model of the PDL, while the initial displacement of the tooth was found to be highly dependent on the geometrical and mechanical properties of the PDL.
Conclusion: The simplified PDL modelling approach with non-linear material behaviour can be suggested for the estimation of initial tooth movement for individual clinical applications without the use of advanced 3D scans.
Keywords: centre of resistance; hydrostatic stress; non-linear behaviour; periodontal ligament; tooth displacement.
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