Self-adhesive cements as core build-ups for one-stage post-endodontic restorations?

AIM To investigate the load capability of root filled teeth restored with glass fibre posts when the same self-adhesive composite resin cement was used as post cement and core build-up material. METHODOLOGY Human maxillary central incisors were divided into four groups (n=10). Teeth were root filled, decoronated and restored using glass fibre posts luted with different cements and composite resins for core build-up (i) RelyX Unicem/Clearfil Core (RXU/CC), (ii) RelyX Unicem/ RelyX Unicem (RXU/RXU), (iii) RelyX Unicem/LuxaCore-Dual (RXU/LCD) and (iv) LuxaCore-Dual/Clearfil (LCD/CC). A 2-mm ferrule crown preparation was always performed. All specimens were restored with adhesively luted all-ceramic crowns and were exposed to thermal cycling and mechanical loading (TCML) and subsequently statically loaded. For analysis of cycles-to-failure during TCML, log-rank statistics were calculated. The nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to study group mean differences. Differences in the frequency of the failure modes between the groups were evaluated by Fisher's exact test. All tests were two-sided (α=0.05). RESULTS Three specimens of RXU/LCD and two of RXU/RXU and LCD/CC, respectively, failed during TCML (P=0.379). For these specimens, the load capability value was set at 0 N. The median fracture load values (min/max) in (N) were RXU/CC=294 (209/445), RXU/RXU = 166 (0/726), RXU/LCD=241 (0/289) and LCD/CC=200 (0/371) (P=0.091). The RXU/CC had the highest (80%) and RXU/LCD the lowest (20%) percentage of restorable failures (P=0.028). CONCLUSIONS These results imply that self-adhesive composite achieved similar load capabilities when used as core build-up materials in root filled teeth restored with glass fibre posts and all-ceramic crowns.