Christoph Bourauel

Christoph Bourauel, Bonn

CURRICULUM VITAE

Professor Dr. Bourauel is physicist and affiliated with the Dental Clinic at the University of Bonn since 1987. After heading the Orthodontic Biomechanics Laboratory for more than 15 years, he took over the Endowed Chair of Oral Technology at the University of Bonn in October 2006. The main focus of his scientific work lies in the fields of dental biomechanics and materials science, with a focus placed on orthodontic superelastic nickel titanium alloys, friction in arch guided tooth movement, and theoretical modelling of orthodontic tooth movement as well as bone/implant interactions. Dr. Bourauel has published more than 250 papers in national and international journals in orthodontics, biomechanics, biomedical engineering, and materials science and has around 600 interdisciplinary oral and poster presentations on Congresses and Symposia. Together with various co-workers he received several awards, beside them the Best Paper of the Year Award of the German Association of Orthodontists (DGKFO) in 1990 and 2014, the Helen and B.S. Dewel Award of the AAO in 1992, the Implant Dentistry Award of the German Association of Dental Implantology (DGZI) in 2007, the Distinguished Teacher Award of the European Orthodontic Society (EOS) in 2007, and the International Clear Aligner Research Award in 2011.

ABSTRACT

Orthodontic mechanics-induced stresses in periodontally-compromised teeth

The periodontal ligament (PDL) is a complex, multiphasic structure consisting of fibres, cells, vessels and a fluid phase. This complex structure results in a nonlinear, time dependant behaviour that is difficult to describe by constitutive laws. Recent studies showed that this constitutive behaviour is subject to changes, under long-term orthodontic loading on the one hand and due to periodontal disease on the other hand. These two biomechanical effects might complicate planning of orthodontic therapy in patients suffering from periodontitis additionally to further clinical aspects. This talk reports about experimental, numerical and clinical studies to determine the biomechanical behaviour of the periodontal ligament (PDL) with respect to long-term orthodontic force application and short-term masticatory loading. In-vitro experimental studies have been performed on rat, pig and human specimens and results were compared to numerical analyses using finite element models of the respective specimens. Clinical in-vivo studies were performed in groups of orthodontic patients and patients during periodontal therapy unsing a new self-developed device to measure the time-dependant behaviour of the PDL in vivo and to monitor the changes of the constitutive behaviour of the PDL during therapy. In finite element studies, typical crowded situations observed in patients suffering from periodontitis were analysed. Based on the results, biomechanical consequences are described and compared to other changes during orthodontic tooth movement or periodontitis, such as geometrical changes of the alveolus.