In vitro evaluation of the effect of core diameter for removing radicular post with ultrasound

The removal of radicular posts for endodontic reasons as well as their replacement is a common procedure in dental practice. The use of ultrasound is becoming a standard practice since it reduces the stress to displace the core from the canal minimizing the risks of root fractures, perforations and further wearing of dental structure. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a reduction in the core diameter when removing radicular posts with ultrasound. Twenty-four teeth were divided in two groups. Group I received posts with the dowel and core of the same diameter (1.7 mm) and group II received posts with the dowel diameter 2 mm larger (3.7 mm) than the core diameter. Zinc phosphate cement was used to cement the posts in all groups. Half of the samples of each group received ultrasonic energy for 8, 2 min for each face. All samples were submitted to traction on an Instron machine (model 4444). Data were analysed statistically with anova and the Tukey test, revealing significant differences (P < 0.05) between groups. The authors concluded that the mean tension necessary to displace the posts from the roots was reduced by 26% when ultrasound was applied. The reduction of the post-diameter reduced the necessary tension to remove them by 24% compared with larger posts.