Utilizing FEA for Dental-Prosthetics: Initial Design Optimization of a Splint

Objectives: This study's purpose is to employ Finite-Element-Analysis (FEA) in optimizing dental-prosthetics design through a code-based solution. This creates an attractive value proposition for dental-software to include FEA as a subroutine, potentially leading to better clinical outcomes by considering the stress-strain topology. For this project, a dental-splint with embedded occlusal force sensors was optimized for sensor location under varying occlusal stresses.
Methods: FEA steps consists of meshing the geometry, a force-solver, and post-processing. In this case, Matlab was able to handle all three tasks. A variety of dental-splint geometries were parametrically defined using CAD and analyzed with FEA. Bite force conditions were modeled to replicate a range of occlusal forces encountered during clenching and bruxism. The primary metrics for evaluation included stress-distribution, force-vector alignment, and trend-analysis. Force values were probed in regions where the physical sensors would be in the device. The geometric trends in the modeled stresses can be used to find the potential placement location of sensors. Subsequent experimental analysis will be performed to validate these findings.
Results: FEA and meshing conducted in python, fenics, and gmsh were unable to handle the cavities created by the sensors. Matlab was used to accept the initial prosthetic-geometry and output FEA results for functional-analysis. Preliminary findings suggest that sensor placement significantly impacts the quality and reliability of bite-force data. Certain sensor locations provided more consistent and representative measurements of bite-forces, as corroborated by stress-distribution maps generated through FEA. Optimal sensor placement was found to vary depending on the type of occlusal forces modeled.
Conclusions: This study establishes FEA as a powerful tool for optimizing advanced dental-splints with the potential to enhance the specialty of dental-prosthetics. The convenience and value proposition of adding FEA modules into treatment planning could guide more effective, personalized appliances for monitoring bite forces, potentially improving diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic outcomes.