Evaluation of dentin wear after flossing
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | During oral hygiene, cleaning instruments interact with the tooth surface, most often with the enamel and possibly also with the dentin in the area of the exposed tooth neck. The long-term, sometimes incorrect, use of interdental cleaning instruments can, and very often does, damage the surface structures of the tooth. The aim of our experiment was to evaluate the changes on the surface of the material representing the structural component of the tooth surface with the lowest abrasion resistance and the lowest hardness (i.e. dentin) after a simulation of flossing. In order to experimentally assess the degree of flossing wear on the tooth surface, the parameters of the test specimen (biocompatible filling used as a dentin substitute) were defined and the exact conditions for the simulation (contact force, floss length, angle of inclination between the floss and the specimen) were determined. Testing was performed on a custom prototype that was designed for this purpose. The surface structure was analyzed by SEM and profilometry. No specimen was found to have a measurable wear mark due to interaction with the dental floss under the given conditions, and its geometrical parameters (width, depth, area) could be analyzed. However, the contact of the dental floss with the surface of the material under test resulted in changes in the surface roughness, thus demonstrating an abrasive process in the contact area. Our results suggest that changes in the dentin surface may occur during cleaning of exposed tooth necks due to interaction with dental floss. |
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