Dental composite restorations have been examined using a silver staining method to elucidate in vivo wear mechanisms. Emphasis was placed on examination of material immediately beneath the wearing surfaces. Several in vitro tests were also investigated for their ability to generate in vivo-like surface defects. For all the clinically worn composite restorations, a porous layer has been observed beneath those surfaces exposed to the oral environment. A laboratory test using certain substances to simulate the oral environmental effects can reproduce this porous layer. These results suggest that the in vivo wear process of dental composites is one accelerated by environmental softening of the composites.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.