[The preprosthetic preparation of the endodontically treated abutment tooth. Post and core technique: a questionnaire...

The goal of the questionnaire was to determine the materials and methods that general dentists in Switzerland at present use for the treatment of non-vital abutment teeth. Questionnaires were sent to 1000 dentists from a computer generated random sample of the list of members of the SSO (Swiss Dental Society). The return ratio was 36%. The responses provided information on the current philosophies and prevailing techniques used to restore endodontically treated abutment teeth. Most of the answering dentists believed it was necessary to stabilize a root treated tooth with a post. The preferred restoration in anterior teeth was the cast post and core, while composite resin build-up with a prefabricated post was predominantly made for posterior teeth. Conical or combined cylindrical-conical posts, which had a sand-blasted surface, were predominantly used. Most of the answering dentists strove to stabilize the remaining tooth structure by circular enclosure of the tooth structure by the later crown (ferrule effect). Zinc phosphate cement was still preferred for cementation of metal posts and ceramic posts were most often fixed with the help of the acid etching technique. The most frequently described failures were retention loss or root fractures.