Wear of dental restorative and prosthetic materials in vitro

The aim of this study was to evaluate the wear of some modern materials for fixed crown and bridge restorations and fillings in vitro. Eighteen commercial materials (8 composites, 4 alloys, 4 façade materials, and 2 denture-base resins) were tested. Enamel was used as the control. Test specimens were abraded on abrasion discs under water or in artificial saliva. There was a great variation in the wear rates of the tested materials. The greatest wear was shown by resins used for base material and the smallest by gold and Cr-Co alloys and porcelain. Most of the composites had a wear rate near that of enamel. The wear for amalgam was slightly greater than for most of the composites. When one is using several different materials for reconstructing occlusion, differences in wear resistance should be taken into account.