Solution of Material Selection Problem Using Fuzzy Axiomatic Design and DEMATEL Methods

Abstract

Material selection is an important task for dental healthcare. A teeth can be filled with several filling materials such as a silver amalgam (mixed with silver, tin, zinc, and copper), a plastic, a porcelain, and composites. Choosing the best filling material is a complex process for a dentist because of human healthcare. There are many criteria for the selection process such as aesthetics, resistant, strength, rigid, long life, low cost, healthy. One of the novelty of this research that is the first research in the field of selecting dental material and another novelty that is used fuzzy axiomatic design and fuzzy DEMATEL methods together first time. First of all, the most effective criteria are determined in order to choose the best material. The weights of the criteria are determined using interaction among themselves. Interactions among criteria are found using DEMATEL method with taking into consideration of dentists' experiences on a teeth filling. Secondly, evaluating alternative materials is carried out using fuzzy axiomatic design method. The results illustrate that the proposed approach is suitable for selecting materials of a teeth filling. We believe that the approach can be applicable for other material selection problems.