Stress Distribution in Short Zirconia and Titanium Dental Implants: A Finite Element Study

Treatment with short implants is considered as predictable as conventional implants. Objective: This in silico experimental study aimed to determine the stress distribution in short zirconia dental implants using finite element analysis (FEA). Methods: Thirty-six implant-crown designs were modeled in ANSYS 2019 R2. Loading conditions included an oblique force of 150 N (30°, ISO 14801:2016), vertical forces of 300 N and 400 N, and a 32 Ncm screw tightening torque across Type I and Type III bone models using three implant diameters (4.1, 4.8, and 5.0 mm). Results: Under both oblique and vertical loads, zirconia generated lower bone deformation but higher overall stress concentrations than titanium. When stratified by bone density, zirconia concentrated higher peri-implant stress in low-density (Type III) bone. Discussion: In both loading scenarios, a progressive increase in implant diameter successfully and proportionally mitigated stress concentrations, which aligns with established biomechanical literature on titanium systems while matching findings from recent comparative studies showing elevated stress levels in zirconia structures. Conclusion: Stress concentrations are higher in zirconia than titanium, particularly in low-density bone; however, this biomechanical limitation can be effectively compensated for by increasing the implant diameter.