Oval Fiber Posts Do Not Improve Adaptation to Oval-shaped Canal Walls

Introduction: Oval fiber posts attempt to provide better adaptation to root canals. The hypothesis of this study was that there are no differences in adaptation of oval and circular fiber posts to canal walls. Methods: Posts were inserted in 20 canals; 10 were oval, and 10 were circular. The posts were cemented with composite cement. Coronal, middle, and apical sections were observed through a microscope. The space occupied by the post and the maximum distance between it and the canal wall were calculated. The 2 groups were compared with analysis of variance. In all the analyses the level of significance was set at P < .05. Results: The proportion of space occupied by the post showed no significant differences (P > .05). The cement layer was thinner in the apical region in oval posts (P < .05). Conclusions: Oval posts do not adapt better than circular posts to the morphology of oval canals. (J Endod 2011;37:1386-1389)