Developing an optimised method for accurate wear testing of dental materials using the 'Rub&Roll' device.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Dental Materials Research
• Tribology

Background:

• Dental materials face significant wear in the oral environment.
• Existing laboratory wear-testing devices are costly and limit inter-laboratory comparisons.
• The 'Rub&Roll' wear machine requires adaptation for testing against rigid antagonists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the sensitivity of a modified 'Rub&Roll' wear machine.
• To assess the wear behavior of dental resin-based composites (RBCs) and human molars.
• To investigate the influence of force and various test solutions on wear.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a novel 'Rub&Roll' wear machine setup.
• Tested direct and indirect RBCs against 3D-printed rod antagonists.
• Employed test solutions including deionized water, water with abrasive, and acid with abrasive.

Main Results:

• Human molars showed greater height loss than RBCs across all conditions.
• Direct RBCs exhibited higher wear than indirect RBCs in abrasive media.
• Acidic abrasive media did not increase RBC wear, unlike in molars.

Conclusions:

• The modified 'Rub&Roll' machine offers a sensitive wear testing method.
• This method allows for initial screening of RBCs against natural tooth wear.
• The test effectively differentiates wear under mechanical and erosive challenges.