Polyether ether ketone – As an alternative biomaterial for Metal Richmond crown-3-dimensional finite element analysis

AIM: This study was aimed to analyze the stress generation and distribution for “polyether ether ketone (PEEK)” and metal cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) at different locations of the tooth using finite element analysis (FEA), when they are casted-off as “Richmond crowns.” MATERIALS AND METHODS: The model of the tooth was designed using “computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing” followed by generating the “Mesh” of the tooth to analyze the stress caused by applying vertical and oblique loads of 100N and 40N, respectively, in cubical nodes for both PEEK and metal endodontic post-based Richmond crown. The “3-dimensional von Mises criteria” was used to compare stresses of both elements using FEA. The material properties for each component were designated by respective modulus of elasticity and Poisson's ratio. The statistical test of the stress generation in various locations of PEEK and Metal (Co-Cr) Richmond crown was done by independent t-test. RESULTS: From the FEA analysis of Richmond crown, it is evident that maximum stress was generated by “Metal” of about 66.418 MPa when compared to “PEEK” (15.826 MPa). “PEEK Richmond crown” produced minimal stress on the tooth and the other surrounding regions than “Metal Richmond crown” with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results proved that the “Metal Richmond crown” postsystem had a tendency to produce more stress on the tooth and the other surrounding regions than the PEEK. The FEA proved the pros of using “PEEK post Richmond crown,” which is a big boon for the modern era dentistry.