Cast metal vs. glass fibre posts: A randomized controlled trial with up to 3 years of follow up

Objective: This randomized controlled trial compared the survival of glass fibre and cast metal dental posts used to restore endodontically treated teeth with no remaining coronal wall. Methods: Fifty-four participants (45 women) and 72 teeth were evaluated during a follow-up period of up to 3 years. Teeth were randomly allocated to the glass-fibre and cast-metal post groups. All teeth were restored with single metal-ceramic crowns. Survival probabilities were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier statistics (p <= 0.05). Results: The 3-year recall rate was 92.3% and the survival rates of glass fibre and cast metal posts were similar (97.1% and 91.9%, respectively; p = 0.682). Four failures were observed: two glass fibre posts in a premolar and anterior tooth debonded, one glass fibre post in a premolar debonded in association with root fracture, and one root fracture occurred in a molar with a cast metal post. Conclusions: Glass fibre and cast metal posts showed similar clinical performance in teeth with no remaining coronal wall after 3 years. Clinical Significance: Posts are used to restore most endodontically treated teeth with no remaining coronal wall. This randomized controlled trial, one of few to compare glass fibre and cast metal posts in such teeth, showed that post type did not significantly influence the survival of restorations. These results can help dentists respond to the important question of how best to rehabilitate endodontically treated teeth with no remaining coronal wall. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.