Purpose: This study aimed to develop dental alumina ceramic dressers, evaluate their abrasive wear characteristics based on particle size, and identify dental dressers with optimal particle size and performance.
Methods: Commercial ceramic dressers (n=5) were selected as the control group, whereas alumina ceramic dressers with 80-grit and 120-grit particles were fabricated as the experimental groups (n=5 each). Prepared specimens were assessed for surface roughness, wear resistance, and abrasiveness against a wear-inducing element (SUS304 stainless steel ball). Means and standard deviations were calculated for each test. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal–Wallis H test with Bonferroni correction (α=0.05) via SPSS Statistics ver. 23.0 (IBM).
Results: Surface roughness was highest in the 80-grit group (22.734±1.308 μm), followed by 120-grit group (21.804±0.785 μm), and lowest in control group (15.782±0.223 μm). Wear resistance was greatest in 120-grit group (0.007±0.002 g), followed by the 80-grit group (0.007±0.004 g), and lowest in the control group (0.370±0.010 g). Furthermore, abrasiveness against the wear-inducing element (SUS304 stainless steel ball) was highest in 120-grit group (0.017±0.003 g), followed by the 80-grit group (0.015±0.003 g), and lowest in control group (0.010±0.001 g).
Conclusion: Based on the combined results of surface roughness, wear resistance, and abrasiveness against a wear-inducing element, the newly developed alumina ceramic dressers show promise for clinical application.

Keywords: Alumina ceramic, Dental equipment, Dental instruments, Materials testing, Particle size