Preference for using posts to restore endodontically treated teeth: findings from a survey with dentists

Area of Science:

• Dental Restorative Materials
• Endodontics
• Clinical Dentistry

Background:

• Restoring endodontically treated teeth often requires posts.
• Dentists' choices in post materials and techniques can vary.
• Clinical experience and specialization may influence these choices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if clinical experience and specialization affect dentists' preferences for posts in restoring endodontically treated teeth.
• To analyze the association between dentists' training levels and their selection of post materials and cements.
• To assess the use of rubber dams during post luting procedures.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 276 dentists in Pelotas, Brazil.
• Data collection via questionnaire on clinical experience, post-graduate training, and restorative material choices.
• Statistical analysis including descriptive statistics and association testing.

Main Results:

• Cast metal posts (24.53%), glass fiber posts (20.75%), and resin cement (66.67%) were commonly selected.
• A significant association was found between post-graduate training and post choice (p=0.027).
• Dentists without post-graduate training favored cast metal posts, while those with training preferred glass fiber posts.

Conclusions:

• Continuing education and specialization significantly influence dentists' choices of dental posts.
• Dentists' preferences for post materials are linked to their level of training.
• Further research into optimal post selection based on experience is warranted.