IMPLANT TILTING EFFECT ON BONE STRESSES INDUCED IN CANTILEVER MANDIBULAR PROSTHESIS

To evaluate the effect of mesiodistal tilting of the terminal implants on the stresses distribution around the implant, a three dimensional 3D model is designed by simulating an edentulous mandible, restored with mandibular cantilever bar overdenture and retained by 3 interforaminal implants. All the parameters are fixed except for the tilt of the terminal implants. Vertical load is applied on one side. The stress distribution around the implants in each situation was recorded and compared to correlate the stress magnitude to the implant tilt The change in the implant tilt resulted in significant change of the stress distribution pattern around the implants where anticantilever an opposing direction to cantilever induced stressestilting of the implant collar resulted in a more homogenous stress distribution, while tilting the collar towards the cantilever direction resulted in stress accentuation at the distal aspect Tilting the implant collar can be beneficial in improving the stress distribution pattern around the implants in cantilever situations.