• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.742-766
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of finish line design, amount of incisal reduction, and loading condition on the stress distribution in anterior all-ceramic crowns. Three-dimensional finite element models of an incisor all-ceramic crown with 3 different finish line designs : 1) shoulder with sharp line angle 2) shoulder with rounded line angle 3) chamfer : and 2 different incisal reductions : 2mm and 4mm were developed. 300 N force with the direction of 45 degree to the long axis of the tooth was applied at 3 different positions : A) incisal 1/3, B) incisal edge, C) cervical 1/5. Stresses developed in ceramic and cement were analyzed using three-dimensional finite element method. The results were as follows : 1. Stresses were concentrated in the margin region, which were primarily compressive in the labial and tensile in the lingual. 2. Stresses were larger in the area near line angle than on the crown surface of the margin region. In case of shoulder with sharp line angle, stresses were highly concentrated in the porcelain near line angle. 3. At the interface between porcelain and cement and at the porcelain above the margin on crown surface, stresses were the highest in chamfer, and decreased in shoulder with sharp line angle and shoulder with rounded line angle, respectively. 4. At the interface between cement and abutment on crown surface, stresses were the highest in shoulder with sharp line angle, and decreased in shoulder with rounded line angle and chamfer, respectively. 5. The amount of incisal reduction had little influence on the stress distribution in all-ceramic crowns. 6. When load was applied at the incisal edge, higher stresses were developed in the margin region and the incisal edge than under the other loading conditions. 7. When load was applied at the cervical 1/5, stresses were very low as a whole.