Abstract
BACKGROUND: Several methods are used to replace lost teeth. This study aimed to reconstruct pre-maxillary conditions when a limited number of implants are available and investigate the biomechanics of the two methods available to dentists for use in these conditions (splinting natural teeth to implants and using a cantilever). METHODS: This in vitro study involved the preparation of eight bridge samples, which were divided into two groups. Four healthy recently extracted central teeth with similar sizes and a maximum difference of 20% in root and crown length were selected as the dental abutments. After preparing the samples, the temporal retention of Temp Bond cement was evaluated using a universal testing machine at a speed of 0.5 mm/min for both samples. A digital torquemeter was used to measure the torque required to open the abutments before and after a fatigue test. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistics software. RESULTS: A comparison of two types of prostheses before and after periodic loading showed that the amount of torque for loosening the abutment screw before applying force was the same in the two types of splint prostheses and cantilever prostheses. However, after applying a 200-N force, the amount of torque in the splinted prosthesis (19.75±1.70) was significantly higher than that of the cantilever prosthesis (12.1±5.73) (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Generally, dental implant prostheses exhibited better support in vitro compared to cantilever prostheses.