Effect of fiber orientation on the stresses generated in dental crowns made of glass fiber composites

Traditional ceramic crowns occasionally experience chipping and cracking due to their brittle nature. Use of a low stiffness, biocompatible custom-design material and strengthening the crown in the direction of the loading are known as possible measures to help reducing these failure modes. This study aims to numerically analyze and compare a single implant supported crown made of two material options - ceramic and a new glass fiber dental composite (GFDC). Specifically, we aim to assess whether the fiber orientation in the composite crowns has a notable effect on the structural integrity of the implant under loading. It was observed that fibers aligned to the tooth long axis as well as through the thickness, can notably help in reducing the maximum stresses of the structure (up to 40% at high chewing angles). The addition of the veneering layer showed a higher stability of the GFDC crown, closer to that of the natural tooth.