Modeling of Screw-Dental Structure Interaction: First Step Toward Finite Element Analysis

This research is focused on the screw-structure interaction under dynamic impulses aimed to the contact analysis of gap propagation at dental implant-abutment interface under dynamic loading. The purpose is to investigate the fracture mechanism that occurs during the screw penetration in a support and during the support vibration. Numerical Finite Element (FEM) analyses are calibrated through experimental laboratory measurements on support materials and screws typologies. Uncertainty due to the laboratory error propagation is investigated using Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE) of experimental measurements. The research is planned through the following steps: FEM calibration trough laboratory experiments on materials; laboratory experiments and material mechanics identification; uncertainty error propagation analysis through PCE expansion; fragility curves for numerical model calibration; FEM models calibration trough laboratory measurements on cycling loads. Therefore, the main purpose of the research activity, of which this article constitutes a preliminary and an explorative step, is to study a methodology that minimizes the local damage of the dental material due to the generation of micro-cracks following the implantation actions. Accordingly, in this paper, preliminary results are reported.