Orthodontic Force Distribution: A Three-dimensional Finite Element Analysis

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the stress pattern and magnitude in periodontal ligament of maxillary central incisor for tipping and bodily tooth movement using finite element method and to determine the optimal orthodontic force required for bodily tooth movements compared to previous clinical, histologic, and laboratory studies. The three-dimensional FEM consisting of 27000 isoparametric elements of maxillary central incisor was constructed based on the average anatomic morphology given by Wheeler. Principal stresses in PDL were determined for tipping and bodily tooth movement. On application of optimal forces for tipping and bodily tooth movement, stress value seen in PDL was less, however the distribution of stress pattern coincided with the previous studies.