Occlusal Wear
The progressive loss of tooth or restorative material substance from biting surfaces due to attrition, abrasion, erosion, or abfraction, quantified as vertical or volumetric material loss over a defined period.
Full Definition
Occlusal wear encompasses several distinct mechanisms: attrition (tooth-to-tooth contact), abrasion (third-body or toothbrush contact), erosion (chemical dissolution by acid), and abfraction (stress-corrosion at the cervical margin). In dental materials research, it is quantified through in vitro chewing simulator studies or profilometric in vivo analysis, expressed as vertical height loss (μm) or volumetric loss (mm³). Editors should ensure that the specific wear mechanism is named in the methods section rather than using 'wear' generically. Two-body wear (tooth against restoration) and three-body wear (involving food particles) should not be conflated. ISO/TR 14569-1 and 14569-2 provide methodology guidance for in vitro wear testing.
Usage
Usage note: Do not use 'wear' alone when the mechanism can be specified. Distinguish two-body from three-body wear in laboratory study methods. Report units (μm or mm³) consistently throughout a manuscript.
In Context
- "The PICN group exhibited significantly less occlusal wear than the feldspathic ceramic control after 1.2 million masticatory cycles." — Chewing simulator study results section
- "Authors should specify whether 'occlusal wear' was measured as vertical height loss or volumetric loss, as these metrics are not directly interchangeable." — Statistical methods editorial note