Abstract
Background. This in vitro study compared the wear response of natural enamel when opposed to hybrid and conventional dental ceramic materials under both abrasive and erosive conditions.
Methods. Eighty enamel specimens were prepared from bovine central incisors and divided into five groups based on the antagonist material used. Each group consisted of 16 specimens, with antagonists fabricated from four different aesthetic CAD/CAM block materials: VITA Enamic (VE), Lava Ultimate (LU), Lava Plus (LP), and VITA Mark II (VM), alongside natural enamel as a control. The specimens underwent 100000 wear cycles (49 N/2 Hz) under non-erosive and erosive conditions, simulating clinical scenarios. Enamel wear was quantified through weight loss measurements. Statistical analysis was conducted using two-way ANOVA and post hoc Games-Howell test, with a significance level set at α=0.05.
Results. The study demonstrated significant variations in enamel wear when opposed to different dental ceramic materials under both erosive and non-erosive conditions (P<0.001 for both). The VM group exhibited the highest mean enamel wear across varying pH conditions (P=0.0104 and P=0.0900). Statistically significant differences in enamel weight loss were observed among all five groups under non-erosive conditions. However, erosive wear rates differed significantly between nearly all groups, except for comparisons between LU and VE (P=0.271) and LP and VM (P=0.180). Notably, mean enamel wear values were higher when specimens were exposed to acetic acid compared to non-erosive conditions (P<0.001 for all groups).
Conclusion. Despite advancements in hybrid ceramic manufacturing, natural enamel wear remains significantly lower when opposed to these materials compared to conventional ceramics. Hybrid ceramics exhibited reduced wear potential compared to feldspathic and zirconia ceramics, underscoring their clinical relevance.