Electric field and SAR distribution in the vicinity of dental implants exposed to the cell phone electromagnetic radiation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the electric field and specific absorption rate (SAR) distribution within biological tissues in the vicinity of dental implants, exposed to the mobile phone radiation. Design/methodology/approach This research was performed for the frequency of 2.6 GHz, which corresponds to 4G mobile network. The adequate 3D realistic numerical models of the mobile phone user’s head, dental implants and actual smartphone model are created using packages based on the finite integral technique numerical method. Findings The obtained results yield to a conclusion that the presence of dental implants affects the increase in electric field intensity and SAR values within biological tissues in its vicinity. Research limitations/implications The presented procedure is limited to the 4G mobile network frequency of 2.6 MHz. The study should be extended to other mobile network frequencies to be more general. Practical implications The criteria for selection of the materials used for dental implants production should be extended with the recommended material characteristics related to their influence on the electric field and SAR distribution, to keep their values in the limits prescribed by standards. Social implications The obtained results provide the foundation for future research in mobile devices’ electromagnetic fields’ influence on human health. Originality/value The accurate determination of the electric field and SAR values within different biological tissues and organs in the vicinity of dental implants exposed to mobile phone electromagnetic radiation, demands highly realistic model of observed biological structures. For purposes of the current study, the procedure for modeling of highly nonhomogeneous structure with finite number of homogenous domains having known electromagnetic parameters is described in the paper. As a result, the 3D complex users’ head model formed of 16 homogeneous domains of different electromagnetic parameters is created.