Use of Polyethylene Fibre Ribbon Reinforced Composite Resin as Post-Core Build-Up:

Teeth that have been endodontically treated often have little coronal tooth tissue remaining and, as such, require a post to retain the core and restoration, and need to be restored by crowns1,5,9. Metal posts are most commonly used due to their favourable physical properties and excellent biocompatibility4,8. With recent advances in ceramic technology, the all-ceramic crown has become more popular. However, restoring a pulpless tooth with a metal post and core in combination with an all-ceramic is a challenge. The underlying metal from the post and core can alter the optical effects of a translucent all-ceramic crown and compromise the aesthetics7. There has been a significant amount of interest in the development of non-metallic post systems in recent years. Several toothcoloured posts have been developed, such as zirconia coated CFP, all-zirconium posts and fibre-reinforced posts2,10,12. A leno-woven polyethylene ribbon (Ribbond Bondable Reinforcement Ribbon) has been used successfully for a variety of clinical techniques, including tooth splinting, replacement of missing teeth, treatment of dental emergencies and reinforcement of resin provisional fixed prosthodontic restorations, orthodontic retention and other clinical applications11. In recent year, there has been a great deal of interest in the use of resin cement to bond a post into a prepared canal2,10. Some laboratory studies have shown a significant increase in post retention with resin cement3,6,13. This paper describes a treatment alternative for extensively damaged tooth using polyethylene fibre ribbon reinforced composite resin as post-core build-up. Technical Report