Investigating inlay designs of class II cavity with deep margin elevation using finite element method.

Background: This study evaluates the mechanical performance of deep margin elevation technique for carious cavities by considering the shape designs and material selections of inlay using a computational approach combined with the design of experiments method. The goal is to understand the effects of the design parameters on the deep margin elevation technique and provide design guidelines from the biomechanics perspective.

Methods: Seven geometric design parameters for defining an inlay's shape of a premolar were specified, and the influence of cavity shape and material selection on the overall stress distribution was investigated via automated modelling.