Role of tooth elongation in promoting fracture resistance

A study is made of the role of tooth height on the resistance to side-wall longitudinal fracture under axial occlusal loading, building on earlier analyses for molar teeth with low dome-like (‘bunodont’) crown structures characteristic of primates and several other omnivorous mammals. The present study extends the analysis by considering molar teeth with an elongate columnar structure below the crown, more characteristic of grazing mammals. Extended finite element modeling is used to determine the evolution of longitudinal cracking, from initial growth to final failure. Experimental tests on sheep teeth confirm the predicted behavior of the longitudinal fracture mode, at least in its early stages. It is demonstrated that elongate tooth structures have a substantially increased resistance to longitudinal fracture, by restricting crack growth along the extended side walls. Biological implications concerning the adaptation of tooth structure to meet changes in the dietary habits of herbivores, and of some carnivores, are considered.