Analytical model of I-bar clasps for removable partial dentures.

Objective: Clasps of removable partial dentures (RPDs) often suffer from fatigue stress that leads to plastic deformation, loss of retention, and RPD failure. Recently, computer-based technologies were proposed to optimize clasp geometry design. The objective of this study was to create an analytic model of I-bar clasps for computer-aided design (CAD)-RPD.

Selective Crystal Growth Regulation by Chiral α-Hydroxycarboxylic Acids Improves the Strength and Toughness of Calcium Sulfate Cements.

Natural biominerals, such as bones and teeth, use acidic matrix biomolecules to control growth, morphology, and organization of the brittle hydroxyapatite crystals. This interplay provides biominerals with outstanding mechanical properties. Recently, we reported that the l-enantiomer of chiral tartaric acid has a potent regulatory effect on the crystal structure and mechanical performance of brushite cement, a mineral with a monoclinic crystal system.

Altered topological blueprint of trabecular bone associates with skeletal pathology in humans.

Bone is a hierarchically organized biological material, and its strength is usually attributed to overt factors such as mass, density, and composition. Here we investigate a covert factor - the topological blueprint, or the network organization pattern of trabecular bone. This generally conserved metric of an edge-and-node simplified presentation of trabecular bone relates to the average coordination/valence of nodes and the equiangular 3D offset of trabeculae emanating from these nodes.

Determining the retention of removable partial dentures.

Statement Of Problem: Removable partial dentures (RPDs) provide a cost-effective treatment for millions of partially edentulous patients worldwide. However, they often fail because of loss of retention. One reason for this problem is lack of precise guidelines for designing retentive RPDs.

Bio-inspired and optimized interlocking features for strengthening metal/polymer interfaces in additively manufactured prostheses.

Biomedical and dental prostheses combining polymers with metals often suffer failure at the interface. The weak chemical bond between these two dissimilar materials can cause debonding and mechanical failure. This manuscript introduces a new mechanical interlocking technique to strengthen metal/polymer interfaces through optimized additively manufactured features on the metal surface.

An analytical model to design circumferential clasps for laser-sintered removable partial dentures.

Objective: Clasps of removable partial dentures (RPDs) often suffer from plastic deformation and failure by fatigue; a common complication of RPDs. A new technology for processing metal frameworks for dental prostheses based on laser-sintering, which allows for precise fabrication of clasp geometry, has been recently developed. This study sought to propose a novel method for designing circumferential clasps for laser-sintered RPDs to avoid plastic deformation or fatigue failure.