A Preliminary In Vitro Study of 3D Full-Field Strain Distribution in Human Whole Premolars Using Digital Image Correlation

Full-field measurements can provide a more complete description of the behavior of human whole tooth under load. To that end, in vitro experiments were carried out to measure the full-field buccal surface strains of human premolars free of caries and abrasion using digital image correlation (DIC). Experimental results show that both the value field and the orientation field of strains can be observed exactly, both of which contain a wealth of information. Furthermore, the strain distributions between the crown and the root of specimens were significantly different (p < 0.001). An interesting observation was a watershed at the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) which separates the orientation field of strains into two distinct parts; the watershed was also observed in the value field of strains in some specimens whose geometries changed obviously at the CEJ. Another interesting observation was that the minor strains increased linearly from cervical to apical regions in the root cementum. Experimental results also support the viewpoint that mechanisms of non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) may in part be due to the changing orientation of tensile strains, as well as their magnitude, and they also support the hypothesis that occlusal force can contribute to root fractures.