Tooth cusp sharpness, measured by radius of curvature (RoC), has been predicted to play a significant role in brittle/hard food item fracture. Here, we set out to test three existing hypotheses about this relationship: namely, the Blunt and Strong Cusp hypotheses, which predict that dull cusps will be most efficient at brittle food item fracture, and the Pointed Cusp hypothesis, which predicts that sharp cusps will be most efficient at brittle food item fracture using a four cusp bunodont molar. We also put forth and test the newly constructed Complex Cusp hypothesis, which predicts that a mixture of dull and sharp cusps will be most efficient at brittle food item fracture. We tested the four hypotheses using finite-element models of four cusped, bunodont molars. When testing the three existing hypotheses, we assumed all cusps had the same level of sharpness (RoC), and gained partial support for the Blunt Cusp hypotheses. We found no support for the Pointed Cusp or Strong Cusp hypotheses. We used the Taguchi sampling method to test the Complex Cusps hypothesis with a morphospace created by independently varying the radii of curvature of the four cusps in the buccolingual and mesiodistal directions. The optimal occlusal morphology for fracturing brittle food items consists of a combination of sharp and dull cusps, which creates high stress concentrations in the food item while stabilizing the food item and keeping the stress concentrations in the enamel low. This model performed better than the Blunt Cusp hypothesis, suggesting a role for optimality in the evolution of cusp form.
Keywords: Taguchi; brittle food item fracture; finite-element analysis; occlusal morphology; radius of curvature; tooth biomechanics.