Tribological mode of action of spherical silica in a tooth brushing contact

刷牙对保持口腔健康，特别是预防龋齿是必不可少的。刷牙过程是一个复杂的摩擦学接触过程，受许多相互关联的变量的影响，这些变量共同导致磨损，从而导致牙齿表面的清洁。这一过程位于一个悬崖上，清洁时需要磨损，但也有可能磨损牙釉质表面并造成不可逆转的损害。牙膏开发的最终目标是一种能够在没有釉质磨损的情况下高水平去除污渍的牙膏。最近的研究表明，与标准的角状二氧化硅相比，微粉化的球形二氧化硅有可能减少牙釉质和牙本质的磨损，同时提供更高的清洁水平。

Tooth brushing is essential for the maintenance of oral health and in particular the prevention of Caries. The brushing process is a complex tribological contact which is influenced by a number of interrelated variables combining to cause the abrasion which results in the cleaning of the tooth surface. This process sits at a precipice where abrasion is required for cleaning but also has the potential to abrade and irreversibly damage the enamel surface. The ultimate goal in tooth paste development is a paste capable of high levels of stain removal with no enamel abrasion. Recent work has indicated that micronized spherical silica has the potential to reduce enamel and dentine abrasion while providing an enhanced level of cleaning, compared to standard angular silica.