How mechanical stresses modulate enamel demineralization in non-carious cervical lesions?

•Tensile stress increases corrosion effect in NCCL by three mechanisms.•Tensile stress tends to open the gap at DEJ, potentiating acid penetration.•Enamel demineralization depth was the highest in specimens under static tension.•Stress corrosion cracking was identified as a mechanism for enamel loss at the CEJ.•The widespread term “abfraction” does not seem defensible, not even as a mechanism.