Bone Remodeling Response to Different Dental Implant Materials: Titanium vs. FGMS - An in silico study

Matching the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of dental implants with bone tissue is a crucial aspect of successful implantation. Functionally graded materials (FGMs) have gained significant attention in medical and implantable structures. This study aims to compare FGM materials with different configurations (radial, gradient) to titanium implants in terms of their mechanical behavior within the mandible using a biomechanical model. Finite element analysis (FEA) was employed to simulate the mechanical response of the surrounding bone tissue during 12 months of bone remodeling. The distribution of von Mises stress was analyzed for cancellous bone and the implant in FGM and titanium implants. The maximum stress observed in cancellous bone was found to be 2.40 MPa for titanium implants, while gradient and radial FGM models exhibited reduced stresses of 1.95 MPa and 1.80 MPa, respectively. This represents a decrease of 20.7% and 28.5% in gradient and radial FGMs compared to titanium implants. To assess the risk of stress shielding, a stress ratio (SR) parameter was defined. Among all models, the implant with radial FGM material demonstrated the lowest SR value. The obtained results were consistent with previous clinical and numerical studies, validating the effectiveness of FGMs in promoting a favorable bone-implant interface. However, the specific type of FGM must be carefully evaluated to understand its behavior during the bone remodeling process. This study provides valuable insights into the mechanical behavior of different materials and highlights the significance of utilizing finite element analysis in dentistry applications to predict the performance of dental implants.