Aim: to test in vitro and in vivo the wear performance of diamond coated strips by means of Tribological test and Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM).
Materials and Methods: To evaluate the in-vitro wear performance, a Tribological test was performed by a standard Tribometer. The abrasive strips slid against stationary freshly extracted premolars fixed in resin blocks, at 2 Newton load. At the end of the tribological test, the residual surface of the strip was observed by means of SEM. The SEM analysis was performed every 50 meters until reaching 300 meters. For the in-vivo analysis, the strip was used for 300 seconds corresponding to 250 meters.
Results: the strips presented a fenestrate structure characterized by diamond granules alternated with empty areas. After the first 50 meters, it was possible to observe tooth material deposited on the surface of the strips and a certain amount of abrasive grains detached. The surface of the strip after 250 meters appeared smoother and therefore less effective in its abrasive power. After 300 seconds of in-vivo utilization of the strip, it was possible to observe the detachment of diamond abrasive grains, the almost absence of the grains and therefore, the loss of strip abrasive power.
Conclusion: Under ideal conditions, after 5 minutes (30 meters) of use, the strip loses its abrasive capacity by about 60%. In vivo, it was observed a quicker lost of the abrasive power due to the greater load applied by the clinician forcing the strip into the contact point.