Tribology of dental materials – a review







Discussion of the impact of friction and wear in dentistry
Understanding the nature of dental tribology is becoming increasingly important as tooth
wear and its impact on dental performance has recently become considered a clinical
problem
This is particularly the case with older individuals, as tooth wear is primarily a function
of age, diet and health factors
Saliva is the most important factor in the chemical environment inside the human mouth
o Forms a boundary lubrication system, which helps minimize dental wear
Mastication (the action of chewing food) is a complex process, but is examined and
quantified in detail in this paper
Primary wear modes are impact wear from tooth-tooth contact (also called attrition),
abrasive wear from particles within the mouth during chewing, toothbrushing, etc., and
erosion of surface of teeth due to exposure to acids
Toothbrushing introduces abrasive particles to the teeth via the toothpaste, and can
actually result in dentine (but not enamel) wear if overbrushing takes place
o For individuals with high tooth wear, toothpaste with lower abrasivity is
recommended