Wear of dental resin composites: insights into underlying processes and assessment methods--a review.

Given the increased aesthetic demands of patients, along with improvements in the formulation of resin composites, the ability of these materials to bond to tooth structures, and concerns about dental amalgam fillings, the applicability of resin composites in dentistry has become increasingly widespread. As resistance to wear represents an important factor in determining the clinical success of resin composite restoratives, the aim of this article was to define what constitutes wear; the major underlying phenomena involved in this process-adhesion, abrasion, fatigue, and corrosion-being described. Discussions were also focused on factors that contribute both to the magnitude and minimization of resin composite wear. Finally, insights were included on both in vivo and laboratory studies used to determine wear resistance. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 65B: 280-285, 2003