3D FEA of high-performance polyethylene fiber reinforced maxillary dentures

Objective: This project studies the effect of high-performance polyethylene (HPPE) fibers on stress distributions in a maxillary denture and the influence of fiber position on improving denture performance.

Methods: A denture was scanned with a 3D Advanced Topometric Sensor digitizing system. The measuring system converted the images into a 3D digital model. A 3D reverse engineering technology then produced a numerical model which was then refined with Rapidform software. The underlying mucosa and bone were constructed using a freeform system integrated with a PHANTOM haptic device. A fiber lamella reinforcement was incorporated into the denture at different positions (fitting side, mid-palatal plane, polished side) with SolidWorks software. Boundary conditions were constrained at the top of the basal bone while bite force of 230 N was applied to the posterior teeth on both sides. The denture models were analyzed with ABAQUS software.

Results: Stress concentrations were found at the incisal notch and at the anterior and posterior palatal surfaces of the unreinforced denture. The incorporated reinforcement effectively reduced the stress concentrations at these surfaces. Placement of the fibers at polished side was the best position in reducing stress concentrations.

Significance: 3D FEM usefully provides a non-laboratory means to reveal the weak areas in the maxillary complete denture, and exhibit the effectiveness of HPPE reinforcement together with fiber positions on enhancement of denture strength.