In vivo registration of force development with ceramic and acrylic resin occlusal materials on implant-supported prostheses

Purpose: It has been hypothesized that the shock generation on implant-supported prostheses during chewing should generate higher implant loads if the veneering material is porcelain rather than acrylic resin. Materials and Methods: The present study uses strain-gauged abutments to measure the force transferred to the implant after a shock has been applied. This was measured in vitro and in vivo in 5 patients. Results: The different occlusal materials did not lead to different forces generated to the implants of the patients. Discussion: From a practical point of view, the choice of occlusal material has no bearing per se on force generation to the implants. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that there: (a) is a difference in resilience between acrylic resin and ceramic veneering materials, but (b) this difference is only measurable in in vitro where the force is generated by a shock only and the implant is rigidly anchored.