Methodologies to analyze the micromorphological alterations of enamel subjected to abrasion/erosion

Abstract

The incidence of caries has declined; however, other dental lesions such as tooth wear are becoming increasingly important. Dental wear is a multifactorial process that may encompass erosion, abrasion, and combinations thereof. Therefore, various methodologies have been applied to evaluate the loss of dental hard tissue and the surface-softened zone in enamel induced by abrasive and erosive challenges. In this review, different techniques to evaluate alterations in enamel are analyzed, such as microhardness, surface profilometry, surface roughness, microradiography, atomic force microscopy (AFM), AFM nanoindentation, scanning electron microscopy, white light interferometer, and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Therefore, the knowledge about these techniques is indispensable in the choice of methods to measure dental wear.