Chen, Yung-Chung2014-10-212014-10-212014-08https://hdl.handle.net/11299/167010University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. August 2014. Major: Oral Biology. Advisor: Dr. Alex Fok.1 computer file (PDF); xv, 227 pages.The purpose of this research was to explore the various features of a natural tooth's inherent structural design of a natural tooth that enable it to perform its mechanical functions effectively, and then to apply the principles and techniques inspired by these investigations to the design of prostheses for replacing a single missing tooth. The biomechanical analysis of the natural tooth was performed on both a macroscopic (overall shape as determined by its anatomy) and a microscopic (effect of microstructures on bulk material properties and their distribution) scale. The nature-inspired design guidelines were then implemented within a FE framework for optimizing dental prostheses designs. Finally, the mechanical performances of the optimal designs derived from the numerical models were validated with in vitro tests.enOral biologyThesis or Dissertation