An in vitro investigation into the wear effects of selected restorative materials on dentine.

Wear testing of five restorative materials was carried out against plates of human dentine using a wear machine specifically designed to simulate the masticatory cycle. The results showed that dentine is substantially less wear resistant than enamel when compared to previous findings. Amalgam produced no measurable wear of dentine, conventional composite produced extreme destruction and porcelain produced the greatest amount of wear. Great care should be taken with the choice of restorative material when opposing dentine.