Investigation of biomechanical response of PDL by using an hyperelastic formulation

The work pertains to the formulation of a numerical model for the investigation of biomechanical response of the periodontal ligament [1] and of the evaluation of displacement behaviour of natural teeth under different loadings. Tissue material constitutive models are defined on the basis of experimental data, deduced from tests on PDL samples of animals. In vivo tests [2,3] are considered for humans, leading to macroscopic data as forces and displacements monitored for a specific tooth, and used to identify elastic and viscous characteristics. Hyperelastic isotropic and/or anisotropic models [4] are developed for describing the mechanics of the PDL tissue, under specific loading conditions admitting elastic response. In the present investigation, results are validated by comparison with experimental data on human central incisors under intrusive forces. Time-dependent behaviour of the PDL [5] can be considered by means of visco-elastic constitutive models, investigating the mobility of human teeth under application of transversal forces of low magnitude.