Three-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis (FEM) of Tooth Stress: The Impact of Cavity Design and Restorative Materials
Source abstract
Abstract
Finite element analysis has been widely applied in restorative dentistry, but there is limited evidence directly comparing the biomechanical behavior of amalgam and bulk-fill composite resins in standardized cavity designs. This study aimed to evaluate the stress distribution in enamel, dentin, and restorative materials under different cavity configurations and filling materials. A 3D model of a maxillary molar was reconstructed from dental tomography using Geomagic Design X 2020. Four cavity models were created with Solidworks 2013: Class I (occlusal, Group A), Class II disto-occlusal (Group B), Class II mesio-occlusal (Group C), and Class II mesio-occluso-distal (Group D) cavities. Each model was restored with either amalgam or bulk-fill composite and a 600 N occlusal force was applied. Maximum principal stresses were analyzed with ABAQUS software. The highest stress was observed in the bulk-fill composite restoration of the Class II MO cavity (231 Mpa), whereas the lowest stress occurred in amalgam restoration of Class I cavity. Overall, amalgam restorations showed lower stress concentrations than bulk-fill composites, especially in complex cavity designs. These results suggest that cavity configuration and restorative material selection influence stress distribution and may impact the long-term biomechanical stability of restored teeth.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Dental materials and restorations · Dental Erosion and Treatment · Dental Implant Techniques and Outcomes
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya 42090, Turkey
Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya 42090, Turkey
Faculty of Dentistry, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya 42090, Turkey
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
References (42)
Show source-provided references
1. Dental caries10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60031-2 ↗
2. Fejerskov, O., Nyvad, B., and Kidd, E. (2015). Dental Caries: The Disease and İts Clinical Management, John Wiley & Sons.
3. Mercury or mercury free restorations in oral cavity10.11591/ijphs.v7i3.14236 ↗
4. Gönder, H.Y., Demirel, M.G., Mohammadi, R., Alkurt, S., Fidancioğlu, Y.D., and Yüksel, I.B. (2022). The Effects of Using Cements of Different Thicknesses and Amalgam Restorations with Different Young’s Modulus Values on Stress on Dental Tissue: An Investigation Using Finite Element Analysis. Coatings, 13.10.3390/coatings13010006 ↗
5. Quality and survival of direct light-activated composite resin restorations in posterior teeth: A 5- to 20-year retrospective longitudinal study10.1111/jopr.12630 ↗
6. Physical properties of current dental nanohybrid and nanofill light-cured resin composites10.1016/j.dental.2011.02.015 ↗
7. Resin-based composite performance: Are there some things we can’t predict?10.1016/j.dental.2012.06.013 ↗
8. Six-year clinical evaluation of bulk-fill and nanofill resin composite restorations10.1007/s00784-021-04015-2 ↗
9. Mechanical properties, shrinkage stress, cuspal strain and fracture resistance of molars restored with bulk-fill composites and incremental filling technique10.1016/j.jdent.2015.09.007 ↗
10. Bulk-fill resin composites: Polymerization contraction, depth of cure, and gap formation10.2341/13-324-L ↗
11. Ulusoy, M., and Aydın, A.K. (2003). Diş Hekimliğinde Hareketli Bölümlü Protezler, Cilt II, Ankara Üniversitesi Basımevi.
12. Application of finite element analysis in implant dentistry: A review of the literature10.1067/mpr.2001.115251 ↗
13. Çalıkkocaoğlu, S. (2010). Dişsiz Hastaların Protetik Tedavisi: Klasik Tam Protezler, Quintessence.
14. İnsan dişi kaplamalarında kullanılan farklı özelliklerdeki yapıştırıcı simanların gerilme dağılımına etkilerinin sonlu elemanlar yöntemi ile incelenmesi
15. Basic concepts of finite element analysis and its applications in dentistry: An overview
16. Finite element method–an effective research tool for dentistry10.17796/jcpd.34.3.yu44334815546435 ↗
17. Nonlinear finite element analyses: Advances and challenges in dental applications10.1016/j.jdent.2008.03.010 ↗
18. Gómez, F.S., Lorza, R.L., Bobadilla, M.C., and García, R.E. (2017). Improving the Process of Adjusting the Parameters of Finite Element Models of Healthy Human Intervertebral Discs by the Multi-Response Surface Method. Materials, 10.10.3390/ma10101116 ↗
19. Finite Element Analysis: Review Part I: The uses in dentistry, basic concepts and description of elements
20. Mechanical behavior of bulk direct composite versus block composite and lithium disilicate indirect Class II restorations by CAD-FEM modeling10.1016/j.dental.2017.03.014 ↗
21. Adhesive class I restorations in sound molar teeth incorporating combined resin-composite and glass ionomer materials: CAD-FE modeling and analysis10.1016/j.dental.2019.07.017 ↗
22. Masticatory efficiency and bite force in individuals with normal occlusion10.1016/j.archoralbio.2014.05.005 ↗
23. Liu, T., Huang, Y., Li, Y., Meng, J., Liu, Y., Wei, Y., Huang, Y., Zhou, Q., Yang, W., and Yan, F. (2025). Effect of different restorative design and materials on stress distribution in cracked teeth: A finite element analysis study. BMC Oral Health, 25.10.1186/s12903-024-05122-8 ↗
24. Three-dimensional finite element modelling of all-ceramic restorations based on micro-CT10.1016/j.jdent.2013.02.014 ↗
25. Finite element analysis of thermo-mechanical loaded teeth10.1016/j.commatsci.2012.05.037 ↗
26. Stress distribution in molars restored with inlays or onlays with or without endodontic treat-ment: A three-dimensional finite element analysis10.1016/S0022-3913(09)60206-7 ↗
27. Babaei, B., Shouha, P., Birman, V., Farrar, P., Prentice, L., and Prusty, G. (2022). The effect of dental restoration geometry and material properties on biomechanical behaviour of a treated molar tooth: A 3D finite element analysis. J. Mech. Behav. Biomed. Mater., 125.10.1016/j.jmbbm.2021.104892 ↗
28. Direct resin composite restoration of endodontically-treated permanent molars in adolescents: Bite force and patient-specific finite element analysis10.1590/1678-7757-2019-0544 ↗
29. Finite element analysis of different restorative materials in primary teeth restorations
30. Valin Rivera, J.L., Gonçalves, E., Vinicius Soares, P., Milito, G., Ricardo Perez, J.O., Palacios Roque, G.F., Valin Fernández, M., Figueredo Losada, H., Araújo Pereira, F., and Garcia del Pino, G. (2022). The Restored Premolars Biomechanical Behavior: FEM and Experimental Moiré Analyses. Appl. Sci., 12.10.3390/app12136768 ↗
31. Bulk-fill kompozit rezinler
32. The finite element analysis of the effect of ferrule height on stress distribution at post-and-core-restored all-ceramic anterior crowns10.1007/s00784-008-0217-5 ↗
33. Effect of Ferrule Design on Stress Distribution of Maxillary Incisor Rehabilitated with Ceramic Crown and PEEK Post–Core Material: A 3D Finite Element Analysis10.3390/ceramics6040137 ↗
34. In-vitro fatigue and fracture performance of three different ferrulized implant connections used in fixed prosthesis10.1016/j.jds.2020.08.002 ↗
35. Epifania, E., di Lauro, A.E., Ausiello, P., Mancone, A., Garcia-Godoy, F., and Mendes Tribst, J.P. (2023). Effect of crown stiffness and prosthetic screw absence on the stress distribution in implant-supported restoration: A 3D finite element analysis. PLoS ONE, 18.10.1371/journal.pone.0285421 ↗
36. Evaluation of the onset of failure under mechanical and thermal stresses on luting agent for metal–ceramic and metal crowns by finite element analysihons10.4103/0976-237X.76389 ↗
37. A comparison of stresses in molar teeth restored with inlays and direct restorations, including polymerization shrinkage of composite resin and tooth loading during mastication10.1016/j.dental.2014.11.016 ↗
38. The effects of cavity-margin-angles and bolus stiffness on the mechanical behavior of indirect resin composite class II restorations10.1016/j.dental.2016.11.002 ↗
39. Darwich, A., Adel, O., and Nazha, H. (2021). Finite element analysis of onlay restorations: Influence of design and onlay material on stress distribution in mandibular molars. SSRN Electron. J.10.2139/ssrn.3897075 ↗
40. Comparison of the Stress Distribution in Class I and Class II Amalgam and Bulk-Fill Composite Restorations Using CAD-FEM Modeling10.11607/prd.5024 ↗
41. Stress distribution in premolars restored with inlays or onlays: 3D finite element analysis10.4047/jap.2018.10.3.184 ↗
42. Gönder, H.Y., Mohammadi, R., Harmankaya, A., Yüksel, İ.B., Fidancıoğlu, Y.D., and Karabekiroğlu, S. (2023). Teeth Restored with Bulk–Fill Composites and Conventional Resin Composites; Investigation of Stress Distribution and Fracture Lifespan on Enamel, Dentin, and Restorative Materials via Three-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis. Polymers, 15.10.3390/polym15071637 ↗