A Comprehensive Review of Wear in Restorative Dentistry: From Enamel to Advanced Restorative Materials

Wear is a significant concern for dental tissues as well as for dental materials that must have sufficient wear resistance without causing harm to opposing teeth. In addition, an ideal restorative dental material should have wear properties similar to those of the tooth tissues. Both clinical and experimental findings indicate that wear mechanisms typically do not act independently but interact with each other. Various materials and techniques for rehabilitating worn teeth have been discussed in the literature. Some data are also available on the clinical performance of restorations used for the treatment of tooth wear. Therefore, this study presents a comprehensive review of wear phenomena in dentistry, emphasizing the multifactorial mechanisms—abrasion, attrition, erosion, abfraction, fatigue, and adhesive wear—that contribute to the degradation of both natural teeth and restorative materials. This review explores the clinical significance of tooth wear, material-specific wear behavior, and testing methodologies, such as in vivo observations and in vitro simulations, including chewing simulators, tribological tests, and advanced surface analysis techniques. This study also discusses preventive strategies, clinical decision-making, and future directions in restorative dentistry, highlighting innovations in biomaterials, digital technologies, and personalized treatment approaches aimed at minimizing wear and enhancing patient outcomes.