Morphology, size distribution and elemental composition of several dental debris

► We investigated morphologies, size distributions and elemental compositions of dental debris. ► These characteristics of the debris depended on the combination of the workpiece and the cutting/grinding materials. ► In some cases, the debris consisted of both the workpiece and the cutting/grinding materials. ► In the case of teeth as the workpiece, teeth debris was smaller than 2 μm in diameter and had a potential to induce inflammation.