Purpose: To date, to evaluate the wear coefficient and the hardness of dental tissues and restorative materials, we have worked with the micro-indenter based on the Vickers or Knoop scales. The aim of this study was to introduce an innovative protocol based on the Ga+ focused ion beam (FIB) milling of dental material as an alternative method for the hardness evaluation not only of the restoration materials, but also of the hard dental tissues. Materials and Methods: FIB milling was performed at 30 kV on each material using different ion doses, thus producing cavities of different depth. The milling depth difference was then evaluated in order to remove effects due to a surface layer which may have properties different from the bulk material. This" corrected" milling depth parameter, obtained in the same experimental conditions both on dental materials and on teeth, when correlated to hardness and wear, could …