A study of fracture loads and fracture characteristics of teeth

PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to investigate the fracture loads and modes of failure for the full range of natural teeth under simulated occlusal loading. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and forty natural teeth were taken from mandibles and maxillas of patients. There were 14 groups of teeth with 10 teeth in each group (5 males and 5 females). Each specimen was embedded in resin and mounted on a positioning jig, with the long axis of the tooth at an inclined angle of 30 degrees. A universal testing machine was used to measure the compression load at which fracture of the tooth specimen occurred; loads were applied on the incisal edge and/or functional cusp. RESULTS: The mean fracture load for the mandibular first premolar was the highest (2002 N) of all the types of teeth, while the mean fracture load for the maxillary first premolar was the lowest (525 N). Mean fracture loads for the mandibular and maxillary incisors, and the first and second maxillary premolars, had significantly lower values compared to the other types of teeth. The mean fracture load for the teeth from males was significantly greater than that for the teeth from females. There was an inverse relationship between age and mean fracture load, in which older teeth had lower fracture loads compared to younger teeth. CONCLUSION: The mean fracture loads for natural teeth were significantly different, with dependence on tooth position and the sex and age of the individual.