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Updated: Apr 27, 2026
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Mimicking and Measuring Occlusal Erosive Tooth Wear with the "Rub&Roll" and Non-contact Profilometry
Published on: February 2, 2018
10.8K
A model for predicting wear rates in tooth enamel
Oscar Borrero-Lopez1, Antonia Pajares1, Paul J Constantino2
1Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Energética y de los Materiales, Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain.
Summary
Enamel wear is sensitive to sharp particles in food and oral fluids. A new model predicts wear rates, explaining severe enamel loss in bruxism and informing evolutionary studies of tooth wear.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tribology
- Paleoanthropology
Background:
- Tooth enamel wear is influenced by oral environment and diet.
- Understanding wear mechanisms is crucial for dental health and evolutionary studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- Develop a generic model for predicting brittle material wear, specifically for tooth enamel.
- Quantify the impact of sharp particulates on enamel wear rates.
Main Methods:
- Formulated a wear rate model based on elastic-plastic micro-asperity events.
- Validated the model using literature data and experimental wear tests on enamel specimens.
- Incorporated variations in asperity angle and compliance into the wear coefficient (K).
Main Results:
- The model predicts wear rates varying over several orders of magnitude based on contact conditions.
- Identified conditions leading to severe enamel removal, relevant to bruxism.
- Derived expressions for enamel depth removal rate and wear cycles, considering tooth size and enamel thickness.
Conclusions:
- The developed model accurately predicts enamel wear, accounting for third-body particulates.
- The model provides insights into the evolution of tooth wear in mammals and hominins.
- Wear severity is linked to particle characteristics and contact mechanics, not specific material removal processes.
