Predictability of clinical wear by laboratory wear methods for the evaluation of dental restorative materials

PhD Ceremony: dhr. S.D. Heintze, 11.00 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Dissertation: Predictability of clinical wear by laboratory wear methods for the evaluation of dental restorative materials

Promotor(s): prof.dr. M. Ozcan, prof.dr. F. Abbas

Faculteit: Medische Wetenschappen

Contact: via de persvoorlichters van het UMCG, tel. 050-361 2200, e-mail: voorlichting@bvl.umcg.nl

Restorative materials such as composite resins that are incorporated in the patient`s mouth are subjected to deterioration and wear from the first day of use and may compromise the function of the restored teeth by time. Wear simulation devices are meant to simulate processes that occur in the mouth during mastication, namely force, force profile, contact time, sliding movement, clearance of worn material, etc. A test that evaluated the wear of ten dental materials with five wear simulation methods showed that the results were not comparable; all methods follow different testing concepts. The wear method should not only efficiently generate reproducible data but these data should also correlate with clinical wear rates. Only one method showed an acceptable correlation with clinical situation. The clinical wear data showed that to date no composite resin is as wear resistant as amalgam.