The Preliminary Investigation of the Effect of Caries on the Extension of Dentin Cracks

Abstract

Dentin is part of the structural composition of the teeth and consists of intertubular dentin (ITD), peritubular dentin (PTD) and the dentinal tubules. The interaction of the three components provides significant strength and durability to the dentin. Caries is a dental disease caused by bacteria, which can damage the microstructure of teeth and lead to teeth damage or even fracture. It is necessary to investigate the mechanism of teeth damage from the perspective of fracture mechanics. In order to study the effect of caries on crack extension, this study uses finite element simulation (FEM) to establish a monophasic dentin model, a bidirectional dentin model, and a dentin model with different caries degrees to compare and analyze the crack extension under the same magnitude of displacement load. The experimental results reveal the influence of different caries degrees on crack extension, which is important for exploring the damage and fracture mechanism of teeth and the design of bionic teeth.