[An in-vitro test procedure for evaluating dental restoration systems. 2. Toothbrush/toothpaste abrasion and chemical degradation]

The development of an in-vitro test for evaluation of dental restorative systems comprised primarily the construction of a chewing simulator, which was able to produce occlusal mechanical load and thermal cycling. This machine was described in a previous publication. Additionally, chemical disintegration and toothbrush/toothpaste abrasion have to be included in the cycle. The aim of the present study was to develop appropriate test methods to simulate the two letter parameters and to integrate these methods in the in-vitro test cycle. The results indicated, that the toothbrush/toothpaste abrasion did not show any significant effect in the occlusal contact area. Chemical cycling induced a generalized swelling of the composite samples and a modified wear curve. The toothbrush/toothpaste abrasion led to a rough composite surface in the contact-free area.