Fatigue behavior of new custom porous dental implants manufactured by PBF-L/M: Finite element simulation and experimental validation

The monoblock customized dental implants remain a challenge. Such designs reduce stress shielding, increase the implant–bone contact area, promote host tissue ingrowth, and shorten functional loading times. In this study, the fatigue behavior of three Ti6Al4V dental implant models was evaluated: fully dense, 40 vol.% porous, and hybrid (dense core with porous surface). The implants were manufactured using Powder Bed Fusion–Laser/Metal. Surface modification treatments (acid etching, chemical oxidation, and thermochemical processing) were also implemented. The characterization includes Vickers microhardness and uniaxial compression tests. Mechanical behavior of cylindrical and dental implants was evaluated through FEM and compared with standardized fatigue tests. Critical failure zones predicted by FEM coincided with experimental observations, confirming their reliability as a predictive tool for the design of customized implants. Among the dental implant models, the hybrid configuration provided the best balance, combining an optimal stiffness distribution, effective load transfer to peri-implant bone, and uniform stress and strain distribution along the thread flanks. Porous implants exhibited an elastic modulus of 74.6 GPa and a yield strength of 437 MPa. Surface characterization showed that sample ST1_500 recorded a contact angle of 42.1°, within the recommended range (40°–70°) for promoting cell adhesion. Design, fabrication, and characterization of novel customized dental implants with porosity gradient obtained by PBF-L/M.FEM simulation: an effective tool to predict the mechanical behavior of porous implants used for bone replacement.Influence of porosity parameters and surface modification treatments on the fatigue resistance of dental implants. Design, fabrication, and characterization of novel customized dental implants with porosity gradient obtained by PBF-L/M. FEM simulation: an effective tool to predict the mechanical behavior of porous implants used for bone replacement. Influence of porosity parameters and surface modification treatments on the fatigue resistance of dental implants.