Wear in dentistry--current terminology.

Area of Science:

• Dental science
• Tribology

Background:

• Dental literature often focuses on clinical wear manifestations, neglecting underlying scientific processes.
• Existing dental terminology for wear (attrition, abrasion, erosion) lacks consistent definitions across disciplines.
• Tribology, the study of friction, wear, and lubrication, offers a framework for understanding these processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the definitions of dental wear terms.
• To establish a connection between dental wear phenomena and tribological principles.
• To resolve terminological confusion in the dental literature regarding wear.

Main Methods:

• Review of dental literature on tooth wear.
• Comparison of dental definitions with tribological definitions of attrition, abrasion, and erosion.
• Analysis of the underlying physical processes of wear relevant to dental applications.

Main Results:

• Significant discrepancies exist in the understanding and application of terms like attrition, abrasion, and erosion within dentistry.
• Tribology provides a more precise and universally applicable framework for defining and studying these wear mechanisms.
• Reconciling dental and tribological definitions is crucial for accurate research and clinical practice.

Conclusions:

• A clearer, tribology-informed understanding of dental wear terms is needed.
• Adopting tribological definitions will enhance consistency and reduce confusion in dental research and practice.
• This work provides a foundation for a unified approach to studying and managing tooth wear.