‘HARDNESS TESTS IN DENTISTRY’- AN EPIGRAMMATIC REVIEW

In the field of dentistry, several types of hardness tests are used to assess the mechanical properties of dental materials. These tests provide valuable information about a material's resistance to indentation, wear, and deformation. Hardness tests help dental professionals select appropriate materials for specific applications, ensuring that the chosen materials can withstand the functional demands of the oral environment. The hardness of dental materials often correlates with their wear resistance, strength, and overall performance, making hardness testing an essential part of material evaluation. There are many tests are in practice to test the hardness of various dental materials. Few of the tests are using in very regular practice to test the hardness. Hence this terse review aimed to discuss various commonly using hardness tests in dentistry, their indications, advantages and disadvantages.