Various attempts have been made to investigate what effects the constitutional elements of a partial denture have on the abutment teeth and how the difference in its design, retention and supporting method affects the abutment teeth. However, no analysis seems to have been reported as to the difference in the capacity of load that the abutment teeth have and the force on the periodontal tissues, which have different dental root shapes.
Therefore, the strain in the periodontal membrane of the straight root and curving root shapes were investigated by using the 3-dimensional strain gauge system. The results were as follows:
1. In both root shapes, the greater the load, the greater the strain on the periodontal membrane.
2. There was a difference in the value and direction of strain between straight root and curving root shapes. Furthermore, the strain on the curving root shape was greater than that on the straight one.
