Objective To evaluate the effects of vitallium metal, ZrO₂ ceramic and PMMA resin grinding dust on rat lung tissue. Methods The surface morphology and particle size distribution of three kinds of dental grinding dust were detected using a scanning electron microscope and laser particle size analyzer. Following exposure of established animal models to the above grinding dust, the total number of white blood cells and macrophages and the interleukin IL-6 and IL- 16 concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were detected by Giemsa staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of lung tissue slices. Results Compared with the control group, the number of white blood cells and macrophages and the IL-6 and IL-16 concentrations in the dust-exposed groups were significantly increased, the infiltration of inflammatory cells was more obvious, and the lung tissue was structurally damaged and fibrotic. Compared with the non-finely ground group, the inflammatory cells and factors in the finely ground groups of vitallium metal and ZrO₂ ceramic were significantly increased. Conclusions Three kinds of dental grinding dusts can cause inflammatory injury and early fibrosis of rat lung tissue, and vitallium and ZrO₂ dusts after fine grinding exacerbate the inflammatory damage compared with the group of non-fine grinding.