Evaluation of the fracture resistance of a wrought post compared with completely cast post and cores

The intraradicular fracture of a post and core presents a difficult and often unrestorable situation. Attempts to prevent this problem involved the use of materials with increased physical properties. The use of a preformed wrought post with a core cast to it may provide a more fracture-resistant foundation. This investigation compared a commercially available noble alloy-wrought post that had a gold core cast to it with completely cast specimens from three different alloys. A standard pattern was designed to simulate a post and core that would be used in a tooth of limited length and canal space. Patterns were cast and fixed to custom holding devices. Each specimen was subjected to a shearing force until catastrophic failure in a universal testing machine. Significant differences were noted among the groups.