The effect of dentinal fluid flow during loading in various directions--simulation of fluid-structure interaction.

Objectives: This study uses a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulation to evaluate the fluid flow in a dental intrapulpal chamber induced by the deformation of the tooth structure during loading in various directions.
Methods: The FSI is used for the biomechanics simulation of dental intrapulpal responses with the force loading gradually increasing from 0 to 100N at 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90° on the tooth surface in 1s, respectively. The effect of stress or deformation on tooth and fluid flow changes in the pulp chamber are evaluated.
Results: A horizontal loading force on a tooth may induce tooth structure deformation, which increases fluid flow velocity in the coronal pulp. Thus, horizontal loading on a tooth may easily induce tooth pain.
Conclusion: This study suggests that experiments to investigate the relationship between loading in various directions and dental pain should avoid measuring the bulk pulpal fluid flow from radicular pulp, but rather should measure the dentinal fluid flow in the dentinal tubules or coronal pulp. The FSI analysis used here could provide a powerful tool for investigating problems with coupled solid and fluid structures in dental biomechanics.
(Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)