title: Tribological characteristics of enamel-dental material contacts investigated in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate wear and friction behaviour of tooth enamel against selected dental restorative materials.
  
  
  METHODS
  The experimental material was obtained under simulated mastication, during which human tooth enamel was sub- jected to friction and wear in contact with composite dental materials: Estelite Sigma and FulFil Extra.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results have shown that the enamel's resistance to tribological wear is significantly higher than the resistance of the dental materials tested. The microscopic observations of the sample surfaces subsequent to the tribological research as well as the analysis of the chemical composition of the surface layer confirm the existence of diverse tribological wear mechanisms dependent on the type of dental materials used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Composite materials such as Estellite Sigma and FulFil Extra are characterized by greater resistance to wear and are less destructive to enamel than the material investigated by the authors earlier. It has also been stated that the spherical shape of the filler particles (Estellite Sigma) has a beneficial effect in reducing enamel wear.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Białystok University of Technology, Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wojda
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Białystok University of Technology, Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Bogusława
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Szoka
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Białystok University of Technology, Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Eugeniusz
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sajewicz
mesh_terms: D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry; D003188:Composite Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000187:drug effects*; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D003776:Dental Porcelain / Q000737:chemistry; D019554:Dental Restoration Wear; D004867:Equipment Design; D017276:Friction; D006244:Hardness; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D003188:Composite Resins; D003764:Dental Materials; C507124:Estelite sigma; C000606542:FulFil Extra; D003776:Dental Porcelain