STRESS DISTRIBUTION IN TITANIUM AND PEEK DENTAL IMPLANTS WITH INTERCHANGEABLE ABUTMENTS AND CROWNS: A FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS STUDY

Background: The physical and mechanical properties of implants, abutments and crowns differ from material to material owing to their variable composition. Therefore, changes in abutment and crown materials can alter the stress distribution in implants. The purpose of this study was Aim: to evaluate and compare the stress distribution in implants using titanium and polyether ether ketone (PEEK) as implant materials with interchangeable abutments and crowns by Finite Element Analysis (FEA). A three-dimensional (3D) mod Material And Method: el of a bone st block was created to represent the left mandibular 1 molar region with a bone-level implant of 4.0 * 10 mm system of Titanium and PEEK material, straight abutment and cement retained crown with 100% osseointegration, using Geomagic software. The study involved eight models that were divided into four groups, which were created according to the variation in the implant material (PEEK or Titanium), abutment material (PEEK or Titanium), and crown material (PEEK or PFM). Group 1: titanium implant, titanium abutment with PFM and PEEK crowns; Group 2: titanium implant, PEEK abutment with PFM and PEEK crowns; Group 3: - PEEK implant, titanium abutment with PFM and PEEK crowns; and Group 4: - PEEK implant, PEEK abutment with PFM and PEEK crowns. In each model, the implants were subjected to a vertical load of 200 N (on the central rd fossa), oblique load of 70 N (at 45° to the buccal cusp), and horizontal load of 50 N (on the occlusal 1/3 of the buccal surface of the mesiobuccal cusp) to mimic clinical forces, and stress distribution was evaluated through von Mises stress analysis. The study revealed that titanium Results: implants (Group 1) exhibited higher stress levels than PEEK implants (Group 4), particularly under oblique and horizontal loads. PEEK implants with titanium abutments (Group 3) showed the lowest stress levels and damage across all loading conditions. PEEK implants with Conclusion: titanium abutments can be used, as they are likely to provide enhanced durability and longevity under high stress conditions to mitigate the risk of implant failure.