The Effect Mechanical Force in Dental Follicle (FEA)

Abstract

Background: FEA technique is now commonly used to address a variety of important biological questions including assessment of stress and strain distribution in bone, dental implants, orthodontics, and tooth eruption.

Aim: This study is based upon finite element analysis (FEA) that was used to study tooth eruption sequelae.

Methods: The computer modelling approach (ANSYS Workbench V 18.2), applying software to investigate stress and strain of dental follicles, which comprises soft tissues that surround the developing tooth. Different stages for tooth and soft tissue are defined, and the current study examines changes in soft and hard tissues relevant to necessary bone remodelling for tooth eruption to occur.

Results: The association of tooth eruption with root formation, leads to the presence of the root generating compressive and tensile hydrostatic strain in the coronal and apical follicle, as per the Dental Follicle Functional theory. It is shown that there would be compression of coronal DF, and tension of apical DF of the simulated teeth, with inferred bone remodeling leading to tooth eruption.

Conclusions: This new model has appreciable clinical significance. In the first instance, this would account for the static behavior of unerupted impacted teeth, that have lost their polarizing soft-tissue pathway. Further, it should be possible to guide the eruption of teeth, by surgically creating a narrow soft-tissue path.