Prototyping artificial jaws for the Bristol Dento-Munch Robo-Simulator; `A parallel robot to test dental components and materials

This paper presents the robot periphery for the robotic dental testing simulator based on a parallel robot (i.e. stewart platform) to simulate the wear of materials on dental components, such as individual teeth, crowns or a full set of teeth. Current chewing simulators move in only 1 or 2 degrees of freedom (DOF) and therefore lack accuracy. The Bristol simulator has been developed to replicate accurate human chewing patterns in 6-DOF. This paper describes the artificial jaws and compliance module of the robot. The jaws have been reverse engineered and represent a human-like mandible and maxilla with artificial teeth. Each clinically fabricated tooth consists of a crown and glass ceramic roots which are connected using resin cement. Correct occlusion of the artificial jaws assembly was assessed by a dental teaching simulator. A compliance module had to be built between the lower jaw and the robot platform to sustain the fluctuating forces that occur during normal chewing in the occlusal contact areas, where these high bite forces are major causes of dental component failure. A strain gauge force transducer has been integrated into the machined lower jaw, underneath the second molars, to measure axial biting forces applied to the posterior teeth.