Comparison of different abrasion processes in dental restorative materials

Three abrasion processes which are assumed to be mainly responsible for the mechanical wear in vivo, namely the abrasion by the antagonistic tooth, by tooth brushing and by chewing food, are compared in laboratory simulation tests. Their effect on different types of composites and on amalgams is considered. The results show strong differences for the three abrasion mechanisms as well as for the various types of materials. The abrasion in the test simulating wear by teeth is essentially determined by the filler material and seems to be the highest, the abrasion by the brushing test depends mainly on the properties of the matrix material and is less, whereas the abrasion by food can be neglected.