Clinical and Radiographical Performance of Different Types of Posts

Abstract

Background: A post is an important part of restoring a tooth that has lost a coronal portion and is implicated in the type of core materials or post systems used in tooth restoration. Objectives: To evaluate and compare the radiographic and clinical performance of three different types of posts, namely, glass fiber post (GFP), custom-made cast post (CMP), and prefabricated metal post (MP). Materials and Methods: Eighty-eight posts were selected, and roots were restored using one of the posts after endodontically treated teeth (ETT). The ETT were fabricated by final year undergraduate dental students. Composite resin cores were placed before cementation of individual porcelain fused to metal crowns. Clinical and radiographic assessments were performed to determine recurrent caries, periapical lesions, post fractures, crown or post mobility under figure pressure, loss of post retention, and damage to biological width. The survival rates were recorded at 3, 9, and 18 months of follow-up intervals from the final cementation of crowns. Data were analyzed in SPSS by identifying the frequency and percentages and by conducting Kaplan–Meyer analysis. Categorical values were evaluated through chi-square test and descriptive statistical analysis was carried out through log-rank test. Results: The 88 posts evaluated in this study yielded nearly equal percentages of anterior (45; 51.1%) and posterior (43; 48.9%) teeth. The majority of posts were GFP (51; 58%), and the remaining posts were MP (16; 18.2%). The major cases of recurrent caries and periapical lesions were found in CMP during the 18-month follow-up. By comparison, the mobility of crowns under figure pressure was associated with CMP during the 9- and 18-month assessment. Loss of post retention was detected in MP during the 3- and 18-month follow-up. Among the three posts, CMP yielded the highest degree of damage to the biological width during the 3-month follow-up. Conclusion: GFP achieved a success rate of approximately 100% ETT restoration. By contrast, custom-made cases showed a higher degree of failure than MP did during the 18-month follow-up by the 6th year undergraduate students.