Influence of the Implants Diameter on Maximum Resistant Load

Purpose: Implants of various diameters are used. A wider implant has been thought to bear more occlusal pressure clinically. However, there are no data on this. To confirm the effect of the diameter of implants on load resistance, tensile tests on screws for implants and geometrical analysis were done.

Methods: The breaking-strengths of the screws for prostheses and abutments (made by NobelBiocare and 3i) were measured with a tensile test machine (InstronⓇ).The influence of the diameter of the implant on maximum resistance load was evaluated with geometrical analysis for the single-tooth implant platform (cusp angle 30 degrees): narrow (NP), regular (RP) and wide (WP).

Results: The breaking-strengths of the screws were increased as the diameter of the screws increased. The breaking-strengths were larger in a product made with titanium alloy than a product made with gold alloy. Maximum resistance load of the screws for prostheses were increased as the diameter of the platform increased.The Maximum resistance load were larger in a product made with titanium alloy than a product made with gold alloy. Maximum resistance load of the screws for abutment decreased as the height of the abutment rises, and no significant changes observed in 3i, but significant changes observed in NobelBiocare.

Conclusion: The influence of the implants diameter on maximum resistance load were clarified. The smaller the implants diameter were the higher the risk for fracture of the screws by occlusal pressure.