The Effect of Implant Abutment Material of Titanium, Zirconia, and Polyether Ether Ketone on Prosthetic Screw Fracture Resistance

Purpose: In this study, the fracture resistance of prosthetic screws was tested using abutments made of titanium, zirconia, and Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK) on dental implants. Materials and Methods: From Easy Implant by easy prod, France, dental implants with specified dimensions and prosthetic screws were purchased. Three different materials (Ti, Zr, and PEEK) were used for abutment preparation. The implant-abutment units were subjected to a constant vertical force using a Universal Testing Machine (UTM) until the prosthetic abutment broke. The force that caused fracture was measured, and one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc tests were used to statistically analyze the data. Results: For Titanium, Zirconia, and PEEK abutments, the mean fracture resistance (±standard deviation) was 727±31 N, 516±21 N, and 289±23 N, respectively. A substantial difference in fracture resistance was found between the various abutment materials according to the one-way ANOVA (p<.001). Zirconia showed much stronger fracture resistance than PEEK (p <0.05) and Titanium abutments demonstrated significantly higher resistance than both Zirconia and PEEK (p <0.01), according to post-hoc tests. Conclusion: The type of the material affects the fracture resistance and fracture pattern of the implant abutment. Titanium, Zirconia, and PEEK abutments show different fracture resistance. Titanium requires more force to be fractured while polyether ether ketone shows less required force. This may affect the prosthetic screw fracture and affect the longevity of the implant.