Wear Measurements in Cylindrical Telescopic Crowns Using an Active Piezoresistive Cantilever with an Integrated Gold Microsphere Probe

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new AFM-based method to measure wear in prosthetic materials at the nanoscale, using a modified cantilever with a gold microsphere probe.

Contribution

The novel use of AFM for both inducing and measuring wear enables high-resolution volume measurements and mimics real-world conditions in dental prosthetics.

Findings

The AFM method achieves volume measurements down to 1 μm³, enabling precise wear analysis.

Reciprocal motion of 5 μm over 35,000 repetitions simulates realistic wear in the human mouth.

Results suggest that the FGP-Degulor M contact becomes stronger as the polymer surface roughens.

Abstract

In this paper, we report a novel application of atomic force microscopy (AFM) for measurement of wear of prosthetic materials. In contrast to previously employed methods, we introduce AFM-based wear induction. In this way, we utilize AFM as both measurement technique and the mean for surface wear. We describe the methodology along with the metrological advantages of the approach regarding the supreme resolution of volume measurement (down to 1 μm3). We investigate wear between prosthetic gold alloy (Degulor M) and FGP polymeric material from Bredent in nanoscale. For that purpose, we modify active piezoresistive cantilever, replacing the original tip with Degulor M microsphere. We elaborate on the process of modification and present how the mass volume and topology of the tip is controlled throughout the process. Wear process was performed in reciprocal motion over the length of 5 μm in 35,000 repetitions to mimic the actual conditions occurring in human mouth cavity. We present how this method, by focusing on a small area of investigated materials, leads to shortening the overall time of wear measurements from tong term observations down to several minutes. AFM-measured data present consistent relation between wear energy and wear volume. Exemplary results seem to confirm durability of the FGP-Degulor M mechanical contact and occurring strengthening of the mechanical contact with roughening of the polymeric surface.

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