Photoelastic analysis of dynamic stress distribution around short implants restored with different materials

Aim: This study aimed at evaluating the stress distribution around a locking tapered short dental implant (4.3 mm x 6 mm), comparing crowns made of metal (CoCr), zirconium (Y-TZP) and acrylic resin. Materials and Methods: The Y-TZP and resin crowns were fabricated by CAD/CAM system, while the CoCr crown was fabricated from lost wax technique. The implant was placed in a rigid photoelastic resin in order to analyze the stress distribution using a polariscope. An axial load starting at 0 (N) up to 200 (N) was applied at the center of the occlusal aspect of the crowns. The photoelastic models and the computer screen (where the data was exhibited) were recorded by video and the images were analyzed and compared at 50N, 100N, 150N and 200N loads. Results: It was observed that resin crown model generated lower stress around the implant. Conclusion: Resin crown generated best stress distribution around locking tapered short implant in comparison with Y-TZP and CoCr crowns.