Effect of bruxism-simulated dynamic loading on debonding of occlusal veneers analysed by acoustic emission

Abstract

Research is one of the most important tools to guide us, dentists, through our daily clinical decisions. One of the common and very controversial clinical cases is bruxism and its related consequences. To study bruxism, a method of simulating one year of physiological chewing movements and parafunctional movements of sleep bruxism was developed. Physiological chewing was performed in a chewing simulator and parafunctional movements were performed in a special device attached to the universal testing machine designed to exert lateral loads. Excessive tooth wear is the main sign of bruxism, usually treated conservatively by occlusal veneers. In this study, occlusal surfaces of sixty posterior teeth were cut flat to receive occlusal veneers of three CAD/CAM materials: IPS e.max CAD, Vita Enamic and Bruxzir. All occlusal veneers had non-anatomical occlusal surfaces with a minimum thickness of 1.5 mm at the position of the central fossa, two flat occlusal planes and a 150° angle between them.