Tribometers for Studies of Oral Lubrication and Sensory Perception

A wide range of tribometers have been developed to study in vitro oral tribology. Some of these are general-purpose machines, while others are intended for a specific application. Current tribometers differ in many ways from the oral tribological environment which should be considered as a transient system with a highly irregular geometry, topography, softness and strength; moreover, there is a wide variation between individuals. The use of saliva (human or artificial) is another important consideration. Further breakthroughs are needed to further our understanding of how tribology contributes to oral texture sensation and perception.