**4. Application of FEA in oral radiology**

Oral and maxillofacial radiology is the specialty of dentistry concerned with performance and interpretation of diagnostic imaging used in examining the dental, craniofacial, and adjacent structures. Use of FEA in this specialty helps for proper diagnosis and possibility of knowing iatrogenic effects.

Szücs et al*.,* in 2010 analyzed the effect of removing various amounts of bone around an impacted mandibular third molar and predicted the possibility of iatrogenic fracture. FEA was used to generate 3-D models of a human mandible with impacted third molars. They found highest stress occurred during normal clenching if the surgical procedure involved the external oblique ridge. The peak stress occurred at the site of removal of the third molar, during contralateral loading of the mandible. They concluded that with FEA they could able to identify the accumulation of stress and strain at specific parts of the mandible and predicted the responses of bone to mechanical activity. FEA could prove to predict the likelihood of iatrogenic fracture of the jaws after surgical removal of mandibular bone, such as occurring during the extraction of third molar. This allow the dentists to change/modify their approach to tooth removal in certain cases [3].

*Finite Element Analysis and Its Applications in Dentistry DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94064*

Oenning et al*.,* in 2018 simulated functional forces in a mandible model by means of FEA and then assessed the biomechanical response produced by impacted third molars on the roots of the second molar. They found areas of high-energy dissipation and compression stress in the second molar root, independently of the inclination of the impacted third molar. They concluded that, impacted third molars in close proximity with the adjacent tooth can generate areas of compression concentrated at the site of contact, suggesting an involvement of mechanical factors in triggering of resorption lesions [4].

Kihara et al*.,* in 2019 evaluated the longitudinal change quantitatively in mandibular volume and configuration in a patient with craniofacial fibrous dysplasia (FD). The 3-D models were analyzed morphologically and volumetrically using FEA. They found FD lesion in the mandible enlarged non-uniformly and had site specificity. They suggested that compression stress induced by the occlusal force through the denture may have influence on the direction of enlargement in FD [5].
