Yield Strength (Material Science)

Yield strength is a material property that describes the stress level at which a solid begins to deform permanently. Below the yield strength, a material will return to its original shape when a load is removed (elastic behaviour); once the yield strength is exceeded, deformation becomes plastic and permanent. It is usually measured in pascals (often reported in megapascals, MPa) and determined through standardized mechanical tests; the value helps compare how strongly different materials resist permanent change under load.

In dental applications, yield strength is one factor used to assess metals and metal alloys for restorations, implant components and prosthetic frameworks because it indicates resistance to bending or permanent distortion under chewing forces. Ceramics behave differently because they tend to fracture rather than plastically deform, so designers rely on other properties like fracture toughness for those materials; engineers also consider yield strength together with fatigue behaviour, safety factors and clinical loading conditions when choosing or designing dental components to ensure long-term performance.