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On the chipping and splitting of teeth
Herzl Chai1, James J-W Lee, Brian R Lawn
1School of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. herzl@eng.tau.ac.il
Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials
|February 15, 2011
Summary
Tooth chipping, a common fracture, can impact function and reveal evolutionary insights. This study found chipping loads are within normal biting forces, with fracture patterns influenced by tooth structure.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Paleoanthropology
- Dental Mechanics
Background:
- Tooth chipping is a frequent fracture mode, potentially leading to tooth function loss.
- Enamel chip analysis offers insights into evolutionary history of humans and animals.
- Understanding tooth fracture mechanics is crucial for dental health and evolutionary studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanics of enamel chipping in human molars.
- To characterize chip morphology and fracture pathways.
- To determine the critical loads for chipping and their relation to biting forces.
Main Methods:
- Chipping tests were conducted on human molars using hard indenters.
- Surface topography and chip shapes were analyzed.
- Fracture loads were measured and compared to physiological biting forces.
Main Results:
- Chips exhibited a characteristic scallop shape, influenced by tooth curvature and enamel properties.
- Fracture primarily followed interprism pathways, with prism bundle breakage in later stages.
- A relationship was established between critical chipping load and contact distance from the specimen edge.
- Measured loads were within the range of normal human biting forces.
- Higher loads induced a transition from chipping to splitting for central contacts.
Conclusions:
- Enamel chipping mechanics are complex, influenced by material anisotropy and tooth geometry.
- The critical loads for chipping are relevant to functional occlusion.
- This research provides a foundation for understanding tooth fracture and its evolutionary implications.
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