Coronal leakage in endodontically treated teeth restored with posts and complete crowns using different luting agent...

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Dental Materials Science
• Restorative Dentistry

Background:

• Endodontically treated teeth often require post and core restorations.
• Coronal microleakage is a significant factor in the long-term success of these restorations.
• Different luting cement combinations may influence the sealing ability of the restoration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of various luting cement combinations on coronal microleakage.
• To compare the sealing efficacy of zinc phosphate and resin cements in post and crown restorations.
• To determine the optimal cement strategy for preventing microleakage in endodontically treated teeth.

Main Methods:

• Sixty human premolars underwent endodontic treatment and were restored with prefabricated posts and crowns.
• Four groups received different cement combinations: zinc phosphate (Z), zinc phosphate/resin (ZR), resin/zinc phosphate (RZ), and resin (R).
• Specimens were subjected to thermal cycling, followed by dye penetration assessment using a microscope to quantify microleakage.

Main Results:

• All tested cement combinations exhibited some degree of coronal microleakage.
• Groups Z, ZR, and RZ showed comparable dye penetration depths.
• Group R, utilizing only resin cement, demonstrated significantly lower dye penetration compared to the other groups (p < .05).

Conclusions:

• The exclusive use of resin cement for both post and crown luting provides the most effective coronal seal.
• Resin cement demonstrates superior performance in preventing microleakage in restored endodontically treated teeth.
• Clinical recommendations should favor resin-based cements for enhanced restoration longevity.