2015 Mechanics

See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.
net/publication/273468216
Centre of resistance and centre of rotation of a tooth: experimental

determination, computer simulation and the effect of tissue nonlinearity
Article in Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering · March 2015

DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2015.1007961 · Source: PubMed
CITATIONS READS
7 1,066
7 authors, including:
Franz Rammerstorfer Alexei I Zhurov

TU Wien Cardiff University
246 PUBLICATIONS 2,716 CITATIONS 184 PUBLICATIONS 2,328 CITATIONS
SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE
Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:
Fluid mechanics View project
Lip Morphology View project
All content following this page was uploaded by Alexei I Zhurov on 13 May 2015.
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

December 8, 2014 22:10 Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering GCMB-2013-
0428*Nyashin*et*al*-*v4
Page 1 of 20 Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering
Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering

1 Vol. 00, No. 00, Month 20xx, 1–14
2
3
4
5 Published online: 12 Mar 2015 DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2015.1007961
6
7
8
9
Centre of resistance and centre of rotation of a tooth:
10 experimental determination, computer simulation
11 and the effect of tissue nonlinearity
12
13
Y. Nyashina∗ , M. Nyashina , M. Osipenkoa , V. Lokhova, A. Dubinina, F. Rammerstorferb,
14
15 A. Zhurovc,d
16 a
Department of Theoretical Mechanics, National Research Polytechnic University of Perm, Perm,
Fo
17 Russia;
18
b
19 Institute of Lightweight Design and Structural Biomechanics, Vienna University of Technology,
20 Vienna, Austria;
rP
21 c
22 School of Dentistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom;
23 d
Institute for Problems in Mechanics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
24
ee
25 (xx.xx.2014)
26
27 The centre of resistance and centre of rotation of a tooth are key concepts in orthodontics. Determining
28 the coordinates of these points is essential for planning orthodontic tooth movement. The paper proposes a
rR
procedure for experimental determination of the two centres, verifies a previously developed mathematical
29 theory through computer simulations, and evaluates the effect of nonlinearity of the periodontal ligament on
30 the parameters related to the centres. The paper relies on the mathematical theory of a rigid body embedded
31 in an elastic medium, physical experiment, finite element method, and a simple nonlinear theory of the tooth.
The concept of the centre of resistance requires a revision if nonlinearity is taken into account.
32
33
ev
34
Keywords: centre of resistance, centre of rotation, experimental determination, periodontal ligament,
35 orthodontics, finite element modeling, computational experiment
36
iew
37
38
39 1. Introduction
40
41 Predicting the response of the periodontal ligament (PDL)—the connective tissue be-
42 tween the root of a tooth and the alveolar bone—is of great importance in describing the
43 behaviour of a dentofacial system under the action of mechanical loads (in particular, in
On
44 orthodontic treatment); see Hatai et al. (2001); Melsen (2001); Mabuchi et al. (2002). The
45 periodontal ligament has a number of functions: it fixes the tooth in the alveolar socket,
46
transfers and regulates masticatory and other mechanical loads, and provides blood sup-
47
ply to the dentofacial system (Krstin et al. 2001). Although the PDL is only about 0.2 mm
ly
48
49 thick, it can transfer remarkably large mechanical loads arising in mastication.
50 Nowadays orthodontic practitioners have a wide knowledge and experience in applying
51 forces to the teeth to correct dentofacial anomalies. The present paper aims to contribute
52 to this knowledge by proposing methods that support direct (in vivo) measurements of
53 such forces and, thus, helping improve the methods of treatment based on mathematical
54 tools (Haskel et al. 1990; Hocevar 1981; Soncini and Pietrabissa 2002). Our approach
55 is heavily based on appropriate characterisation of the response of the dentofacial system
56
57
58
∗ Corresponding author. Email: nyashin@inbox.ru
59
60
ISSN: 1741-5977 print/ISSN 1741-5985 online
c 20xx Taylor & Francis
DOI: 10.1080/1741597YYxxxxxxxx
http://www.informaworld.com
URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/gcmb
Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering Page 2 of 20
2 Y. Nyashin, M. Nyashin, M. Osipenko, V. Lokhov, A. Dubinin, F. Rammerstorfer, A. Zhurov
1 and, in particular, the periodontal ligament to functional, traumatic, orthodontic, and other
2 loads.
3
From previous experiments (Nyashin et al. 1999a), which gave an insight into the pro-
4
5 cess of balanced load transfer (damping) by the periodontal ligament, one can conclude
6 that the load is transmitted not only through collagen fibres of the periodontal ligament
7 but also through the interstitial fluid.
8 Therefore, the periodontum can respond to different loads in a highly nonlinear fashion,
9 especially at the moment of application. However, the duration of orthodontic forces is,
10 as a rule, quite long (from several days to several months) and so most mechanisms that
11 cause nonlinearities are no longer effective a few hours or even minutes after the load
12 is applied (Nyashin 1999b). For this reason, a suitable linear theory can be used, with
13
certain restrictions, to describe orthodontic tooth movement.
14
15 In the present paper, we model the tooth movement using the general theory suggested
16 by Osipenko et al. (1999) and calculate the displacements of points of a rigid body em-
Fo
17 bedded (completely or partially) in a linear elastic medium. This theory proves to be

18 appropriate for the development of a procedure for determining the centre of resistance,
19 a widely used term in orthodontics (Bulcke et al. 1986; Christiansen and Burstone 1969;
20 Dermaut et al. 1986; Vollmer et al. 1999).
rP
21 We will describe procedures for determining the positions of the centre of resistance
22 and centre of rotation based on experimental data. The term centre of rotation is also very
23
common in orthodontics (Vollmer et al. 1999; Hurd and Nikolai 1976; Pedersen et al.
24
1990; Smith and Burstone 1984; Tanne et al. 1988), but it should not be confused with
ee
25
26 the centre of resistance. Furthermore, in biomechanics, a number of different centres of
27 rotation are used, which are mostly related to the kinematics of human joints; see Challis
28 (2001); Halvorsen (2003); Moorehead et al. (2003).
rR
29 We performed a physical experiment and numerical simulations to study tooth move-

30 ment under the action of mechanical loads. The numerical results were further used to
31 validate the proposed procedures. To this end, we developed a three-dimensional finite el-
32 ement model for the upper central incisor with the surrounding periodontal ligament and
33
ev
alveolar bone. It is noteworthy that the tooth root does not have to be straight, since the
34
35 centre of resistance exists not only for bodies bounded by a smooth surface but also in
36 more general cases.
iew
37
38
39
2. Brief description of the theory of the centre of resistance and centre of rotation
40
41
42 In the present paper, we define the centre of resistance and centre of rotation as suggested
43 previously by Osipenko et al. (1999). We outline these definitions below and give a sum-
On
44 mary of the mathematics behind them. When the position of the centre of resistance is
45 known, one can get basic information about the response of the tooth to mechanical loads
46 without solving a boundary value problem.
47 Since the stiffness of the tooth material is approximately 30,000 times higher than the
ly
48 effective (homogenised) stiffness of the periodontal ligament (see Table 1), the tooth can
49
50
be assumed to be a rigid body. We start with a linear system.
51
52 Table 1. Effective mechanical properties of the tooth, PDL, and alveolar
53 bone, Bulcke et al. (1986)
54 Material Young’s modulus, MPa Poisson’s ratio

55
Tooth 20 000 0.3
56 Periodontal ligament 0.68 0.49
57 Cortical bone 10 500 0.3
58 Spongy bone 1 290 0.3
59
60
Centre of resistance and centre of rotation of a tooth: experimental determination, computer simulation 3
1 First of all, the following equations must hold (Osipenko et al. 1999):
2
3
4
t = α̂ R + γ̂ M,
(1)
5 f = γ̂ T R + β̂ M,
6
7
8 where t = (ξ, η, ζ)T and f = (λ, µ, ν)T are column vectors containing six generalized
9 coordinates of the tooth that characterize its translation and rotation, respectively; α̂ and
10 β̂ are 3 × 3 symmetric and positive definite matrices, γ̂ is a 3 × 3 generally asymmetric
11 matrix, R and M are, respectively, the resultant force and resultant moment produced by
12 the load with respect to a Cartesian coordinate system Oxyz (see Fig. 1; since the tooth
13 displacement is small, there is no need to distinguish between the vector components in
14 the global coordinate system and those in the local system associated with the tooth). The
15
vector t represents the displacement at the point O and f is the vector of rotation about
16
Fo
17 the axis passing through O. Section 3 shows, for a special case, how these generalized
18 coordinates can be determined experimentally. The matrices α̂, β̂ , and γ̂ are introduced in
19 Osipenko et al. (1999) and characterize the elastic properties of the periodontal ligament.
20 Section 3 outlines an experimental procedure for determining the components of these
rP
21 matrices for a special case.

22 The displacement vector at a point r = (x, y, z)T of the tooth is determined by
23
24
u (r) = t + f × r. (2)
ee
25
26
27 According to Osipenko et al. (1999), the centre of resistance of a tooth and its envi-
28 ronment (CRE) is defined as a fixed point within the tooth that satisfies the following two
rR
29 conditions:
30 (a) if R = 0, then u(rCRE ) = 0 must hold for arbitrary M (i.e., if the forces applied are
31 reduced to a torque, the tooth movement is rotation about the CRE);
32 (b) if M = rCRE × R, then f = 0 must hold for an arbitrary R (i.e., if the forces applied
33
ev
are reduced to a resultant force whose line of action passes through the CRE, the tooth
34
movement is pure translation).
35
36 It follows from this definition that the position of the CRE does not depend on the
applied forces.
iew
37
38 Our definition of the CRE is practically identical to that given in Dathe et al. (2013). We
39 only emphasize that the above conditions must hold for arbitrary M or R. There are other
40
41
42
43
On
44
45
46
47
ly
48
49
50
51
52 y
53
54
55 x
56 O
z
57
58
Figure 1. The three-dimensional finite element model.
59
60
1 definitions of the CRE known in the literature. For example, van der Varst et al. (1987)
2 requires that a single force acting through the centre of resistance of a tooth must produce
3
pure translation. We, in addition, require that torques must produce rotation of the tooth
4
5 about the CRE. Viecilli et al. (2013) supposed that CRE does not exist as a single point in
6 3D space primarily because the PDL and tooth are generally asymmetric; consequently,
7 CRE must be defined in terms of 2D projections and a specific loading direction. We agree
8 with the statement that, in 3D space, CRE can only exist under rather special conditions
9 (see below), but we also believe that in case CRE does not exist, this means it cannot be
10 represented by any 2D projections.
11 Osipenko et al. (1999) proved that if γ̂ β̂ −1 is an antisymmetric matrix, then there exists
12 a unique CRE such that r̂CRE = γ̂ β̂ −1 ; otherwise there is no CRE (an equivalent statement
13
was earlier proved by van der Varst et al. (1987)). The matrix r̂ corresponding to the vector
14
15 r is defined as follows:
16
Fo
   
17 0 −z y x
18 r̂ =  z 0 −x , r = y  . (3)
19 −y x 0 z
20
rP
21 Furthermore, for an arbitrary vector p, the relation r̂p = r × p holds.

22 It should be noted that the CRE can only exist under rather special conditions. The
23 problem of existence of a CRE for the system consisting of a tooth and its periodontal
24
ligament, which will further be called the tooth-PDL system, and having different types
ee
25
26 of symmetry was addressed in Osipenko et al. (1999). In fact, what is important is the
27 symmetry of the tooth root, which is in contact with the PDL, while the tooth crown is of
28 no significance in this respect.
rR
29 The tooth-PDL system will be said to be symmetric with respect to a plane if the reflec-
30 tion of an arbitrary load through this plane leads to the reflection of the tooth displace-
31 ments through this plane (Osipenko et al. 1999).
32 In what follows, we consider the case where the tooth-PDL system has only one plane
33
ev
of symmetry, which coincides with the coordinate plane Oxy . What is only essential is
34
the symmetry of the tooth root. In the literature, incisors are often assumed to have even
35
36 axially symmetrical roots. The roots of two-root teeth may be considered as having ap-
proximately a plane of symmetry (Dathe et al. 2013). For this case, the concept of CRE
iew
37
38 was introduced in Osipenko et al. (1999) in a limited (still fairly wide) sense to ensure the
39 existence of a CRE without any additional symmetry requirement.
40 The centre of resistance of a tooth and its environment in a symmetry plane (CRES) is
41 defined in Osipenko et al. (1999) as a point belonging to the symmetry plane and satisfy-
42 ing both of the above conditions (a) and (b) only for the vectors R and M that have the
43
On
following nonzero components: R = (Rx , Ry , 0)T and M = (0, 0, Mz )T . This is true, for
44
example, if the loading forces lie in the symmetry plane.
45
46
Osipenko et al. (1999) proved that there exists a unique CRES such that
47 γ23 γ13
ly
48 xCRES = − , yCRES = , (4)

49 β33 β33
50
51 where β33 , γ13 and γ23 are components of the matrices β̂ and γ̂ .
52 Moreover, it was shown in Osipenko et al. (1999) that there exist two mutually perpen-
53 dicular principal directions with the following property: if the applied forces are reduced
54 to a resultant force whose line of action passes through the CRES and is parallel to one of
55
the principal directions, then translation of the tooth occurs along the line of action of the
56
57
resultant force. It should be emphasized that if the resultant force acts in the Oxy plane
58 and passes through the CRES but is not parallel to any of the principal directions, then the
59 tooth movement is pure translation, which, however, is generally not necessarily parallel
60
1 to the line of action of the resultant force.

2 Let us now choose Oxyz with origin O at CRES and we assume that the axes x and y
3
coincide with the above principal directions. Then we get
4
5
6 ux (x, y) = Kx Rx − yβ33 Mz , (5)
7
uy (x, y) = Ky Ry + xβ33 Mz . (6)
8
9
10 The coefficients Kx and Ky are expressed in terms of components of the matrices α̂, β̂
11 and γ̂ (see Osipenko et al. (1999)). They have the physical meaning of compliances of the
12 periodontal ligament with respect to translations along the principal directions.
13 Centre of rotation is another very common concept in the orthodontic literature con-
14
cerned with the tooth movement analysis.
15
16 A centre of rotation of a tooth (CRO) is defined as a fixed point associated with the tooth
Fo
17 that satisfies the condition u(rCRO ) = 0 under the action of a given load. It follows from
18 this definition that the CRO position depends on the forces applied.
19 A centre of rotation can be proved to exist if and only if f 6= 0 and t · f = 0, with t and
20 f defined by Eq. (1). In this case, the CRO is nonunique and
rP
21
22 f×t
23 rCRO = + l f, (7)
24 f2
ee
25
26 where l is an arbitrary number that has the dimension of length. The set of all CROs forms
27 the axis of rotation.
28 Osipenko et al. (1999) proved theoretically that the load can always be applied in such
rR
29 a way that: (i) there exists a CRO at any predetermined point and (ii) the tooth movement
30 is rotation through a given angle about a given axis. The proof was based on Eqs. (1), (2)
31 and (7).
32 Once again, let us consider the case where the tooth-PDL system has only one plane of
33
ev
symmetry, Oxy , and the load acts in this plane. Then we have λ = µ = 0, ζ = 0, and
34
35
36 ν = γ13 Rx + γ23 Ry + β33 Mz , (8)
iew
37 ξ = α11 Rx + α12 Ry + γ13 Mz , (9)

38
39 η = α12 Rx + α22 Ry + γ23 Mz . (10)
40
41 In this case, t · f = 0, and the condition ν 6= 0 turns out to determine the existence of a
42
CRO, with the rotation axis (7) being perpendicular to the symmetry plane.
43
On
44 Osipenko et al. (1999) define the centre of rotation of a tooth in a symmetry plane
45 (CROS) as the point at which the axis of rotation (7) meets this plane (provided that
46 ν 6= 0).
47 In view of Eqs. (7)–(10), the CROS is unique and its coordinates are determined as
ly
48 (Osipenko et al. 1999):

49
50 η α12 Rx + α22 Ry + γ23 Mz
51 xCROS = − =− , (11)
ν γ13 Rx + γ23 Ry + β33 Mz
52
53 ξ α11 Rx + α12 Ry + γ13 Mz
54 yCROS = = ; (12)
ν γ13 Rx + γ23 Ry + β33 Mz
55
56
57
the number l is chosen so that CROS belongs to the symmetry plane.
58 The problem of finding Rx , Ry and Mz that ensure prescribed values of ν , xCROS
59 and yCROS can be easily solved using Eqs. (8), (11) and (12).
60
1 3. Procedures for experimental determination of the CRES and CROS

2
3
This section describes experimental procedures for determining the positions of the CRES
4
5 and CROS. It is required to carry out N independent tests such that in each kth test
6 (k = 1, . . . , N ), a force Rk = (Rxk , Ryk , 0)T is applied to a point (xk , yk , 0) on the tooth
7 surface, with the coordinate plane Oxy being the plane of symmetry of the tooth, followed
exp T
8 by measuring the displacement components uexp exp
k = uxk , uyk at this point.
9 The interaction of the tooth with its environment cannot be completely characterised by
10 the numbers xCRES and yCRES alone. In general, 21 components of the matrices α̂, β̂ , and
11
γ̂ are required for a full description (12 components of the symmetric matrices α̂, β̂ and 9
12
13
components of the asymmetric matrix γ̂ ). All these parameters can be calculated using the
14 scheme described below, with modifications of the equation for utheor k . If there is a plane of
15 symmetry, only 12 parameters remain. If, in addition, the load acts in the symmetry plane,
16 in which case the concept of a CRES is meaningful, the number of parameters decreases
Fo
17 even further to six: α11 , α22 , α12 , γ13 , γ23 , and β33 .
18 The theoretical values of the two-dimensional displacement can be determined, in view
19 of Eq. (1) and (2), as follows:
20
rP
21 !
utheor (α11 − γ13 yk )Rxk + (α12 − γ23 yk )Ryk + (γ13 − β33 yk )Mzk

22 xk
23 utheor
k = = ,
utheor
yk (α12 + γ13 xk )Rxk + (α22 + γ23 xk )Ryk + (γ23 + β33 xk )Mzk
24
ee
25
26 where α11 , α12 , α22 , γ13 , γ23 , and β33 are the six independent components (for the sym-
27 metry in question) of the matrices α̂, β̂ , and γ̂ , while Mzk = xk Ryk − yk Rxk . These six
28 parameters are unknown and have to be determined in the course of the analysis. To do
rR
29 so, at least three different tests (N ≥ 3) are required.

30
To find the above parameters, we use the method of least squares. To this end, we form
31
32 the sum
33
ev
34 N
exp 2
X
35 S(α11 , α22 , α12 , γ13 , γ23 , β33 ) = utheor
k − uk
36 k=1
iew
37 N
38 X exp 2 exp 2
utheor + utheor

39
= xk − uxk yk − uyk .
40 k=1
41
42 Consequently,
43
On
44
45 S(α11 , α22 , α12 , γ13 , γ23 , β33 )
46 N
" 2 #
47
X Rxk α11 +Ryk α12 +(Mzk −yk Rxk )γ13 −yk Ryk γ23 −yk Mzk β33 −uexp
xk
= 2 .
+ Ryk α22 +Rxk α12 +xk Rxk γ13 +(xk Ryk +Mzk )γ23 +xk Mzk β33 −uexp
ly
48 k=1 yk
49
50
51 Since S is a quadratic function, it is easy to minimise analytically. Then the coordinates
52 of the CRES can be calculated from Eq. (4). The coefficients Kx and Ky and the angle α
53 between the x-axis and one of the principal directions are also easy to calculate, since they
54 are expressed in terms of components of α̂, β̂ , and γ̂ . The error estimates for the above
55 parameters can be obtained by the standard least squares method (Brandt 1970).
56 Let us now look at how the CROS can be determined experimentally. The components
57 exp T
58
of the displacement vector uexp exp
k = uxk , uyk are measured simultaneously (in one test)
59 at N points (xk , yk , 0) on the surface of the tooth for a given loading (k = 1, . . . , N ). In
60
1 the plane case, the theoretical values of the displacement are determined by
2
3
4
utheor
k = (ξ − νyk , η + νxk )T .
5
6 In this expression, there are three unknown parameters, ξ , η , and ν , which can be deter-
7 mined by the least squares method. At least two different points (N ≥ 2) must be used.
8 The sum
9
10 N
X exp 2
utheor

11 S(ξ, η, ν) = k (ξ, η, ν, xk , yk ) − uk
12 k=1
13
14 needs to be minimised, which is easy to do analytically, since S is a quadratic function.
15 Then the coordinates of the CROS can be calculated using Eqs. (11) and (12).
16
Fo
17
18
4. Experimental realization of the theoretical approach
19
20
rP
21 We realized the theoretical approach to determining the parameters xCRES , yCRES, Kx , Ky ,

22 and β33 (see Section 2) by processing the experimental data provided by Natasa Krstin
23 (University Hospital, Ulm, Germany, private communication). The experimental design is
24 schematically shown in Fig. 2.
ee
25 An artificial tooth was made of plastic. It had the same geometry as a real incisor. The
26 tooth was embedded into a plastic block. This block had cylindrical shape. Its height was
27
about 60 mm and radius of the base was about 10 mm. The block was made of a plastic
28
material used in dental practice, whose behaviour is similar to that of real tissue. No glue
rR
29
30 was applied, since there was firm adherence between the tooth and the block. A metallic
31 L-shaped plate was rigidly attached to the tooth so that it moved together with the tooth.
32 The plate was used as a mirror to reflect two laser beams, using which the displacements
33 were measured. A force F was applied to some point on the tooth surface. The force was
ev
34 produced by a sharp pin with a small force-measuring gauge attached to its end. After
35 the application of the force, the relaxation of the tooth displacements was observed until
36 an equilibrium state was reached. Then the displacements components ux and uy were
iew
37
measured at some other points of the tooth.
38
39
40
41
42
43
On
44
45 CRES
46 x
47 y
ly
48
49
50
51 5 mm
52 x O
F
53
54 y
55
56
57
58
Figure 2. Scheme of the experimental setup.
59
60
1 The measurements were made for five different forces applied at five different points.
2 The loads were in the physiological range. The results are listed in Table 2, where (xF , yF )
3
is the point at which the force was applied, F is the force magnitude, αF is the angle
4
5 between the force and the x-axis, (x, y1 ) and (x, y2 ) are the points at which the displace-
6 ments were measured, and (ux1 , uy ) and (ux2 , uy ) are the displacement measurements
7 at the respective points (the y -components of u are equal, since the x-coordinates of the
8 points are the same).
9
Table 2. The experimental results.
10
11 xF , mm yF , mm F, N αF , deg x, mm y1 , mm y2 , mm ux1 , mm ux2 , mm uy , mm
12
0.0 8.0 1.653 15.8 11.5 0.0 −22.0 0.0770 −0.0835 0.0402
13 0.0 6.5 1.612 15.2 11.5 0.0 −22.0 0.0666 −0.0603 0.0294
14 0.0 4.5 1.487 14.8 11.5 0.0 −22.0 0.0781 −0.0690 0.0418
15 0.0 2.5 1.518 14.2 11.5 0.0 −22.0 0.0628 −0.0528 0.0315
0.0 0.0 1.402 13.8 11.5 0.0 −22.0 0.0511 −0.0308 0.0251
16
Fo
17
18 The data from Table 2 were processed using the least squares method (see Section 3)
19
in order to obtain the CRES position (xCRES , yCRES ) and coefficients α11 , α12 , α22 , γ13 ,
20
rP
21
γ23 , and β33 (see Section 2). The resulting values are listed below with the standard errors
22 specified after ±:
23
24 xCRES = 5.6 ± 2.7 mm, yCRES = −10.0 ± 6.0 mm,
ee
25
26 α11 = 0.05 ± 0.08 mm/N, γ13 = −0.002 ± 0.002 N−1 ,
27 α12 = −0.07 ± 0.30 mm/N, γ23 = −0.001 ± 0.006 N−1 ,
28
rR
29 α22 = 0.50 ± 1.00 mm/N, β33 = 0.00024 ± 0.00005 rad /(N mm).
30
31 The standard error of the displacements was estimated as εu = 0.009 mm. Further, the an-
32 gle α between the x-axis and one of the principal directions and the principal compliances
33
ev
Kx and Ky were found to be

34
35
36
α = 9.8 ± 4.0 deg, Kx = 0.014 ± 0.009 mm/N, Ky = 0.5 ± 1.5 mm/N
iew
37
38 (the negative part of the interval for Ky must be excluded). The CRES and the principal
39 directions x′ and y ′ are shown in Fig. 2.
40 Thus, the proposed theoretical approach gives a plausible position of the CRES (near
41 or inside the tooth) and orientation of the principal directions (approximately vertical and
42 horizontal). The high extent of variability of the above values is presumably due to the
43
On
large measurement errors characterized by εu .

44
45
46
5. The finite element model and analysis employed
47
ly
48
49 This section describes our finite element simulations carried out to verify the mathematical
50 theory and demonstrate how the coordinates of the CRES and CROS can be determined.
51 An upper central incisor with its surrounding tissues (periodontal ligament and alveolar
52 bone) was considered. The anatomical dimensions of this tooth were taken from Kurland-
53 skiy (1963). It should be noted once again that the shape of the part of the tooth that is
54 not in contact with the periodontal ligament does not affect the position of the CRES. The
55
thickness of the PDL was taken to be 0.2 mm.
56
57
To illustrate the main features of the procedure, we assumed all materials in this anal-
58 ysis, including the bone and periodontal ligament to be linear elastic. This is a crucial
59 assumption for the theory under consideration; a nonlinear behaviour of any part of the
60
1 tooth surroundings invalidates the theory. (The theory remains valid for non-uniform and
2 non-isotropic tissues, as long as they are linear elastic.) Approximately, this corresponds
3
to a sufficiently long-lasting load to ensure that the redistribution of the interstitial fluid
4
5 has finished (Nyashin 1999b, 2000). The mechanical properties used in the simulation
6 are listed in Table 1. Nonlinear effects in the response of the PDL will be discussed in
7 Section 8.
8 A three-dimensional finite element model was used for computing the stress, strain and
9 displacement fields in the upper right central incisor and its environment.
10 The model was preprocessed with PATRAN 5.0 and the finite element analysis was
11 performed with the ABAQUS software. The resulting displacement and stress fields were
12 treated by the graphical postprocessor for visual presentation.
13
The finite element model consisted of a tooth-PDL-bone (cortical and spongy) complex.
14
15 The tooth was meshed using three-dimensional solid four-node tetrahedral elements with
16 linear approximation of displacements. The PDL was modeled with two-node linear truss
Fo
17 elements. One node of each truss element was connected with the tooth root surface and
18 the other, with the cortical surface layer of the alveolus. The cortical layer covering the
19 alveolar socket was modeled by shell elements. The domain of cortical bone is shaded in
20 Fig. 1 in grey. In the remaining regions, the cortical and spongy bones were modeled using
rP
21 four-node tetrahedral elements with linear approximation of displacements. In total, the

22 model consisted of 1,608 finite elements (truss, shell and tetrahedral) with 2,264 nodes;
23
see Fig. 1. The proper boundary conditions were posed at the surface with immovable
24
supports, at the traction-free surface and at the points of application of forces.
ee
25
26 The 3D finite element model was used to determine the displacements of the points on
27 the tooth surface to which the forces were applied. Since determining the position of the
28 CRES is one of the objects of the study, geometric symmetry was assumed and the forces
rR
29 were applied in the symmetry plane.

30 After performing the finite element analysis, the position of the CRES can be deter-
31 mined using the procedure described above. An alternative scheme for determining the
32 position of the CRES suggests using experiments with force couples, in which case, the
33
ev
positions of the CRES and CROS must coincide, according to their definitions.
34
35
36
6. Computational results
iew
37
38
39 Figures 3 to 5 show the results of the finite element analysis as well as the positions of
40 the CRES and CROS determined using the techniques described in Section 3. It should
41 be noted that the circular arrangement of the level lines of the absolute displacement field
42 indicates pure rotation of the tooth, while pure translation is indicated by the absence of
43
On
the level lines.

44 A horizontal force causes rotation of the tooth about the CROS, whose position is de-
45
pendent on the point of application of the force (see Figs. 3a and 3b, the CROS positions
46
47
are shown by the black dots). Figure 3c illustrates the displacement field of the incisor
due to a vertical force. One can see from the level lines that the CROS is located quite far
ly
48
49 away to the left of the tooth (not shown in Fig. 3c) and the tooth movement is closer to
50 pure translation than in the cases shown in Figs. 3a and 3b (the farther is the CROS, the
51 closer is the movement to the pure translation). It can be concluded that the line of action
52 of the vertical force passes closer to the CRES than the lines of action of the horizontal
53 ones (the closer to the CRES is the line of action of the force, the closer is the movement
54 to the pure translation).
55
The parameters obtained using the techniques outlined in Section 3 are listed in Tables
56
57
3 and 4 (the x and y axes are shown in Figs. 3–5). The error estimates are also given.
58 The errors arise from the finite element approximation of the model. Fourteen indepen-
59 dent tests were carried out (see Section 3); the numerical data for these tests, including
60
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13 y y y
14
15
a) x b) x c) x
16 zO zO zO
Fo
17
18 Figure 3. Displacement fields (absolute values) due to a force applied at an arbitrarily chosen position (the force magnitude
19 does not matter).
20
rP
21
22
23
24
ee
25
26
27
28
rR
29
30
31
32
33
ev
34
35 y y
36
iew
37
38 a) x b) x
39 zO zO
40
41 Figure 4. Displacement fields due to several forces statically equivalent to a single force (a, horizontal and b, vertical)
42 applied at the CRES.
43
On
44
45 Rxk , Ryk , xk , yk , uexp exp
xk , and uyk , are not presented here.
46
47
ly
Table 3. Parameters determined from the results of the finite element analysis.
48
49 α11 = (1.64 ± 0.02) × 10−2 mm/N α12 = (1.77 ± 0.08) × 10−3 mm/N
50
α22 = (3.25 ± 0.08) × 10−3 mm/N γ13 = (1.07 ± 0.04) × 10−3 rad/N
51
52 γ23 = (1.20 ± 0.11) × 10−4 rad/N β33 = (7.61 ± 0.62) × 10−5 rad/(N mm)
53
54
55
In Table 4, α is the angle between the x-axis and one of the principal directions and
56
57
Kx and Ky are the compliances along x- and y -directions, respectively (see Eqs. (5)
58 and (6)). Since the angle α is small, the horizontal (x) and vertical (y ) axes may be treated
59 as principal directions in the case concerned.
60
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13 y y y
14
15
a) x b) x c) x
16 zO
O
zO
Fo
z
17
18 Figure 5. Displacement fields due to different force couples applied at the crown. The position of the CROS is shown by
19 the black dot.
20
rP
21 Table 4. The CRES coordinates and compliance values determined from the results of the finite
element analysis.
22
23 xCRES = −1.58 ± 0.21 mm yCRES = 14.11 ± 0.68 mm
24
Kx = (1.24 ± 0.41) × 10−3 mm/N Ky = (3.06 ± 0.09) × 10−3 mm/N
ee
25
26 α = −0.04 ± 0.09 rad (−2.29 ± 5.16 deg)
27
28
rR
29 7. Discussion
30
31 To assess the computational results, let us discuss properties (a) and (b) mentioned in the
32 definition of the CRE (see Section 2). First, we check the property of pure translation in
33
ev
the case where a single force is applied at the CRES. Instead of a single force applied
34 at (xCRES , yCRES ), we used a statically equivalent system of three forces applied at some
35
nodes, since the mesh is discrete and so does not generally have a node at this point. Two
36
example force configurations and the resulting displacement fields are displayed in Fig. 4
iew
37
38 (the CRES is shown by the black dot). It is apparent from the figure that the tooth crown
39 performs nearly pure translation (the CROS is far away from the tooth). The slight devi-
40 ation from pure translation is due to the approximate nature of finite element modelling
41 and nonzero (though very low) compliance of the tooth. (Note that the analytical results
42 were obtained under the assumption that the tooth is rigid.)
43
On
If a force couple is applied, then the CROS coincides with the CRES, as follows
44 from their definitions. Figure 5 illustrates the tooth movement under three different force
45
couples. For the force configuration shown in Fig. 5a, the calculations give xCROS =
46
47
−1.61 mm and yCROS = 14.31 mm (the x and y axes are shown in Fig. 5); these coor-
dinates are very close to those of the CRES given in Table 4. Moreover, the tooth turns
ly
48
49 out to rotate about practically the same point under the action of different couples (see
50 Figs. 5b and 5c; the CRES is shown by the black dot).
51 As far as potential applications of the proposed techniques are concerned, the following
52 corollaries should be mentioned. In order to determine the CRES or CROS of a tooth-
53 PDL system experimentally or numerically, one should apply forces (in particular, force
54 couples) and then measure or compute the resulting displacements. One may think that
55
the simplest way to determine the CRES is to apply a force couple and to find the CROS
56
57
that coincides with the CRES. In fact, sometimes the application of two forces that do
58 not make a couple and further calculations are preferable. The choice depends on the
59 technical capabilities of the equipment and methods used for measuring and analyzing
60
1 the orthodontic tooth movement (Hayash et al. 2002).

2 The proposed technique for determining the CRES by performing several tests has the
3
advantage that it enables one to achieve higher accuracy (the accuracy of the least squares
4
5 procedure increases with the number of measurements) and, in addition, to determine
6 other parameters (Kx , Ky , α, β33 ) required for calculating the displacements of tooth
7 points; see Eqs. (5) and (6). The direct determination of CRES as CROS in the case of
8 the force couple has lower accuracy (only one measurement) and does not provide the
9 orientation of the principal axes and the tooth compliance values.
10 To summarize, we have proposed two different techniques for determining the positions
11 of the centre of resistance (CRE or CRES) of teeth, which are essential for planning
12 the treatment of dentofacial anomalies. In order to test these procedures, we carried out
13
computational rather than in vivo experiments using a three-dimensional finite element
14
15 model of the upper central incisor with the surrounding periodontal ligament and alveolar
16 bone. The numerical results were found to agree qualitatively with the results predicted
Fo
17 by the theory presented in this paper.

18
19
20 8. Changes in the CRES and CROS concepts when the PDL is assumed to be nonlinear
rP
21 elastic
22
23 So far in this paper, we have assumed linear response of the PDL in order to illustrate the
24 key features of the method and focus on the long-term behaviour. It was pointed out by,
ee
25
for example, Cattaneo et al. (2005); Toms et al. (2002); Toms and Eberhardt (2003) that
26
27 taking into account nonlinearities in the PDL response is very important for more accurate
28 results in tooth mechanics, especially with respect to short-time behaviour. Let us assess
rR
29 the effect of these PDL response nonlinearities on the concepts of CRES and CROS by
30 using a rather simple nonlinear tooth model, which is shown in Fig. 6a. A plane rigid tooth
31 is attached to rigid alveolar bone by a set of springs (the PDL). Each spring has the same
32 undeformed length and the same nonlinear elastic properties; specifically, all springs are
33
ev
assumed to have different tension/compression constants, with, as suggested in Cattaneo

34 et al. (2005), the spring constant in tension being nine times that in compression. If there
35
are no loads acting on the tooth, the springs are assumed to be undeformed. Under loads,
36
the springs deform and the tooth experiences translation and/or rotation about the CROS.
iew
37
38 The deformations of the springs are assumed to be small.
39 The displacement parameters of the tooth (the amount of translation, CROS coordi-
40 nates, and angle of rotation) are calculated using the numerical iterative algorithm outlined
41 below. Let S denote the set of compressed springs. This set is empty at the beginning of
42 the calculation, which suggests that all springs are assumed to be either undeformed or
43
On
subjected to tension. The displacement parameters are calculated in the analysis, while the
44 compression or tension spring constant is chosen depending on whether or not the spring
45
belongs to S . The calculations are performed analytically using the principle of virtual
46
47 work:
ly
48
49 Rx δξ + Ry δη + Mz δν = δE,
50
where E = i 12 ci s2i is the total potential energy of the springs, ci are the spring con-
P
51
52 stants, si = u(ξ, η, ν, xi , yi ) · li are the spring deformations, (xi , yi ) are the spring attach-
53 ment points, and li are the spring direction unit vectors; the x and y axes are shown in
54 Fig. 6.
55
Once the tooth displacement has been calculated, the set S is updated and the compu-
56
57
tational process is repeated. The iterations are terminated when the set S stops changing.
58 Figure 6b illustrates the results obtained under the assumption that all springs are linear
59 elastic; the linear CRES theory is applied and the CRES is shown by the black dot. If
60
1 F F
2 F
3
4 F
5 CROS
6 M F
F F
7 CROS = CRES M M CRES M
8 F CROS
9
10
11 F
M
12 F
y y y
13 F
14 x F
a) x b) F c) x
15 O O O
16
Fo
17 Figure 6. (a) A simple tooth model with the PDL modeled by a set of springs. (b) The springs are linear elastic, resulting
18 in unique CROS and CRES positions. (c) The springs are nonlinear elastic; the CROS position depends on the direction of
19 the torque and the CRES depends on the force direction and so is no longer a single point (shaded area).
20
rP
21 a torque M is applied to the tooth, then, irrespective of the torque direction, the tooth
22 undergoes pure rotation about the CRES. If the tooth is subjected to a force F whose line
23 of action passes through the CRES, then, irrespective of the force sign, the tooth undergoes
24 pure translation.
ee
25
If the springs are treated as nonlinear elastic (with different constants in tension and
26
27
compression), then there in no CRES in the strict sense of the word (however, the CROS
28 exists). Figure 6c shows schematically that the CRES position computed using the above
rR
29 iterative procedure depends on the direction of the load. If a torque M is applied, the
30 tooth undergoes pure rotation, with the CROS position depending on the torque direction
31 but not its magnitude. This fact is illustrated in Fig. 6c by two curved arrows about two
32 black dots representing the CROS. If a force F is applied, its line of action for which
33
ev
the tooth undergoes pure translation depends on the sign of the force. Furthermore, in
34 contrast to the linear case, the lines of action of different forces do not all meet at a single
35
point or either of the above CROS points. This fact is illustrated in Fig. 6c by straight
36
arrows with the CRES represented by a region (shaded area) rather than a single point;
iew
37
38 the rigorous definition of this region and its description should are the subjects of further
39 investigations. The arrows were obtained as follows: a certain direction was chosen and
40 the force was moved, while being kept parallel to this direction, until the tooth underwent
41 pure translation.
42 Thus, if the PDL is treated to be nonlinearly elastic, the usual tooth CRES theory should
43
On
be modified.
44
45
46
9. Conclusion
47
ly
48
49 Although an asymmetric tooth does not generally have a centre of resistance (CRE), a
50 symmetric tooth always has a centre of resistance in a symmetry plane (CRES). The un-
51 derlying theory has been supported by finite element computer simulations. The main
52 theoretical parameters, such as the CRES position, principal directions, principal compli-
53 ances, and torsional stiffness, can be extracted from the experimental data. We have devel-
54 oped and practically tested a procedure for this. The procedure has been found to provide
55
qualitative agreement with the theory. Some parameters have shown relatively large er-
56
57
rors, which is likely due to large measurement errors. We have suggested an algorithm for
58 calculating the tooth movement in the case of nonlinear PDL. If there are nonlinearities in
59 tissue response, the concept of CRES should be substituted by the concept of a region of
60
14 REFERENCES
1 resistance.
2
3
4
References
5
6
Brandt S. Statistical and computational methods in data analysis, Amsterdam, London, North Holland Publishing Company;
7 New York, American Elsevier Publishing Company, INC, 1970.
8 Bulcke MM, Dermaut LR, Sachdeva RCL, Burstone CJ. 1986. The centre of resistance of anterior teeth during intrusion
9 using the laser reflection technique and holographic interferometry. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial
Orthopedics 90: 211–220.
10 Challis JH. 2001. Estimation of the finite centre of rotation in planar movements. Medical Engineering & Physics 23:
11 227–233.
12 Cattaneo PM, Dalstra M, Melsen B. 2005 The finite element method: a tool to study orthodontic tooth movement. J Dent
Res 84(5): 428–433.
13 Christiansen RL, Burstone CJ. 1969. Centres of rotation within the periodontal space. American Journal of Orthodontics
14 55: 353–369.
15 Dathe H, Nägerl H, Kubein-Messenburg D. 2013. A caveat concerning center of resistance. Journal of Dental Biomechanics
4: 1–7.
16
Fo
Dermaut LR, Kleutghen JPJ, de Clerck HJJ. 1986. Experimental determination of the centre of resistance of the upper first
17 molar in a macerated, dry human skull submitted to horizontal headgear traction. American Journal of Orthodontics and
18 Dentofacial Orthopedics 90: 29–36.
19 Halvorsen K. 2003. Bias compensated least squares estimate of the centre of rotation. Journal of Biomechanics 36: 999–
1008.
20
rP
Haskell BS, Spencer WA, Day M. 1990. Auxiliary springs in continuous arch treatment, Part 1: An analytical study em-
21 ploying the finite-element method. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics 98: 387–397.
22 Hatai T, Yokozeki M, Funato N, Baba Y, Moriyama K, Ichijo H, Kuroda T. 2001. Apoptosis of periodontal ligament cells
induced by mechanical stress during tooth movement. Oral Diseases 7: 87–290.
23 Hayashi K, Araki Y, Uechi J, Ohno H, Mizoguchi I. 2002. A novel method for the three-dimensional (3-D) analysis of
24 orthodontic tooth movement - calculation of rotation about and translation along the finite helical axis. Journal of
ee
25 Biomechanics 35: 45–51.

Hocevar RA. 1981. Understanding, planning, and managing tooth movement: orthodontic force system theory. American
26 Journal of Orthodontics 80: 457–477.
27 Hurd JJ, Nikolai RJ. 1976. Centres of rotation for combined vertical and transverse tooth movements. American Journal of
28 Orthodontics 70: 551–558.
rR
29 Krstin N, Dorow Ch, Geiger M, Sander F-G, Nyashin YI, Nyashin MY, 2001. Structure and functions of the periodontal
ligament. Russian Journal of Biomechanics5(1): 33–42.
30 Kurlandskiy VY. Dental prosthetics, Moscow, Medicine, 1963, (in Russian).
31 Melsen B. 2001. Tissue reaction to orthodontic tooth movement – a new paradigm. European Journal of Orthodontics 23:
32 671–681.
Mabuchi R, Matsuzaka K, Shimono M. 2002. Cell proliferation and cell death in periodontal ligaments during orthodontic
33
ev
tooth movement. Journal of Periodontal Research 37: 118–124.

34 Moorehead JD, Montgomery SC, Harvey DM. 2003. Instant centre of rotation estimation using the Reuleaux technique and
35 a lateral extrapolation technique. Journal of Biomechanics 36: 1301–1307.
Nyashin MY, Osipov AP, Bolotova MPh, Nyashin YI, Simanovskaya EY. 1999. Periodontal ligament may be viewed as a
36 porous material filled by free fluid: experimental proof. Russian Journal of Biomechanics 3(1): 89–95.
iew
37 Nyashin MY. 1999. Mathematical model of the periodontal ligament. Ph.D. dissertation, Perm, Perm State Technical Uni-
38 versity, 1999 (in Russian).
39 Nyashin YI, Nyashin MY. 2000. Biomechanical modelling of periodontal ligament behaviour under various mechanical
loads. Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics 2: 67–74.
40 Osipenko MA, Nyashin MY, Nyashin YI. 1999. Centre of resistance and centre of rotation of a tooth: the definitions,
41 conditions of existence, properties. Russian Journal of Biomechanics 3(1): 5–15.
42 Pedersen E, Andersen K, Gjessing PE. 1990. Electronic determination of centres of rotation produced by orthodontic force
systems. European Journal of Orthodontics 12: 272–280.
43
On
Smith RJ, Burstone CJ. 1984. Mechanics of tooth movement. American Journal of Orthodontics 85: 294–307.
44 Soncini M, Pietrabissa R. 2002. Quantitative approach for the prediction of tooth movement during orthodontic treatment.
45 Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering 5: 361–368.
Tanne K, Koenig HA, Burstone CJ, 1988. Moment to force ratios and the centre of rotation. American Journal of Orthodon-
46 tics and Dentofacial Orthopedics 94: 426–431.
47 Toms SR, Lemons JE, Bartolucci AA, Eberhardt AW. 2002. Nonlinear stress-strain behaviour of periodontal ligament under
ly
48 orthodontic loading. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics 122: 174–179.
49 Toms SR, Eberhardt AW. 2003. A nonlinear finite element analysis of the periodontal ligament under orthodontic tooth
loading. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics 123: 657–665.
50 van der Varst PG, Peters MCRB, de Boer A. 1987. On the existence of the orthodontic center of resistance. Biomechanics:
51 Basic and Applied Research (ed. by Bergmann G et al.): 751–756.
52 Viecilli RF, Budiman A, Burstone CJ. 2013. Axes of resistance for tooth movement: Does the center of resistance exists in
3-d space?. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics 143: 163–172.
53 Vollmer D, Bourauel C, Maier K, Jäger A. 1999. Determination of the centre of resistance in an upper human canine and
54 idealized tooth model. European Journal of Orthodontics 21: 633–648.
55
56
57
58
59
60
View publication stats

2015 Mechanics

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

2015 Mechanics

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

Centre of resistance and centre of rotation of a tooth: experimental

Article in Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering · March 2015

Franz Rammerstorfer Alexei I Zhurov

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Fluid mechanics View project

Lip Morphology View project

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering

17 bedded (completely or partially) in a linear elastic medium. This theory proves to be

29 We performed a physical experiment and numerical simulations to study tooth move-

54 Material Young’s modulus, MPa Poisson’s ratio

21 matrices for a special case.

21 Furthermore, for an arbitrary vector p, the relation r̂p = r × p holds.

48 xCRES = − , yCRES = , (4)

1 to the line of action of the resultant force.

37 ξ = α11 Rx + α12 Ry + γ13 Mz , (9)

48 (Osipenko et al. 1999):

1 3. Procedures for experimental determination of the CRES and CROS

29 so, at least three different tests (N ≥ 3) are required.

21 We realized the theoretical approach to determining the parameters xCRES , yCRES, Kx , Ky ,

Kx and Ky were found to be

large measurement errors characterized by εu .

21 four-node tetrahedral elements with linear approximation of displacements. In total, the

29 were applied in the symmetry plane.

the level lines.

1 the orthodontic tooth movement (Hayash et al. 2002).

17 by the theory presented in this paper.

assumed to have different tension/compression constants, with, as suggested in Cattaneo

25 Biomechanics 35: 45–51.

tooth movement. Journal of Periodontal Research 37: 118–124.

View publication stats

You might also like