Abstract
BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to examine the impact of various types of cements on primary molar tooth restored with a Bioflx crown. METHODS: Three distinct finite element models were developed to represent three different cements; (1) conventional glass ionomer cement (GIC) (approximately 17 μm thick), (2) self-curing resin-modified GIC (RMGIC) (approximately 10 μm thick), and (3) self-cure resin cement (RC) (approximately 30 μm thick), all supporting/securing the Bioflx crown (approximately 330 microns thick). The geometry of the lower second primary molar was captured by laser scanning and then processed to create a solid model. This model was then imported into finite element software to assign materials, create a mesh, and evaluate stress and deformation under average normal occlusal loads. An applied load of 330 N was evaluated at three angles: vertical, oblique at 45°, and lateral. RESULTS: The results indicated that model #2 (self-curing resin-modified GIC) exhibited the greatest deformation across all model components under the three loading conditions. The results for conventional GIC cement were comparable to those of self-cure resin cement. The resin-modified self-curing GIC (model #2) demonstrated high stress levels under lateral and oblique loads. Additionally, elevated stress concentrations were observed in the cortical bone region. CONCLUSIONS: A cement type with a higher modulus of elasticity may be preferred over other types, in addition to the potential for use with a thinner thickness. Therefore, conventional GIC demonstrated the best performance among the cements evaluated in this study. This was followed by self-cure resin cement, while self-curing resin-modified GIC might be excluded due to expectation of failure.