In vitro comparison of dowel and core techniques for endodontically treated molars.

The restoration of broken down puIpless molar teeth generally implies the provision of a cast post and core with a crown. In this research the failure resistance of some restoration methods utilizing amalgam was investigated under an oblique load. The results suggest that intracoronal reinforcement with a prefabricated dowel did not significantly increase the in vitro resistance. It is expected that both investigated amalgam techniques are strong enough to function within normally occurring forces in the oral environment. The main advantage is the possibility to subsequently rebuild the coronal portion of the teeth in amalgam after the endodontic therapy is finished.