[Techniques for immediate restoration of teeth following root canal therapy]

It is incumbent upon the dentist to restore the form and function of endodontically treated teeth. Different approaches and materials are described in the literature for restoring the missing tooth structure, either with a cast post and core or immediately with a chair-side post and core system. This article briefly reviews the available data regarding the microbiological, prosthetic, mechanical, and periodontal aspects while emphasizing the immediate approach using amalgam, composite and glass ionomer materials. The factors affecting retention of the post are presented to guide the clinician in selecting a suitable post and core system in preserving optimal root structure to prevent root fracture. Two clinical cases are presented in which tooth structure was restored using two techniques: in one, a provisional acrylic resin shell was used to house a dowel coronal-radicular amalgam core material, the other used a copper band for a composite post and core system. Both cases emphasize the ease of production and the short chair-time in the stages of crown fabrication.