Media release

From: The Royal Society

Novel experimental methods to investigate the effects of plant phytoliths on tooth enamel wear

Understanding how plant-based diets affect tooth wear is crucial to both dental science and evolutionary biology. In this study, we have developed an innovative laboratory method using artificial leaves embedded with plant phytoliths—microscopic silica particles—to simulate and observe their mechanical interaction with human dental enamel. Surprisingly, even soft plant tissues caused permanent enamel damage and mineral loss. Our work identifies key mechanisms of wear and challenges previous assumptions about dietary abrasiveness. These findings offer fresh insight into tooth durability, diet evolution in mammals, and have implications for interpreting fossil records and designing more realistic dental wear simulations.