Micro-Computed Tomography of Tooth Volume Changes Following Post Removal

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Endodontics
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Post and core restorations are crucial for restoring endodontically treated teeth.
• The choice of post and cement system can influence the integrity of the remaining tooth structure.
• Understanding material interactions is vital for predictable clinical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify tooth volume changes following post removal using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT).
• To compare the effects of different prefabricated post (stainless steel vs. fiber-reinforced composite) and cement (glass-ionomer vs. resin) combinations on tooth structure.
• To identify which post-cement system leads to the most significant tooth structure loss.

Main Methods:

• Forty-eight extracted teeth were prepared and restored with different post and cement systems.
• Micro-CT was used to measure baseline tooth root volume.
• Posts and cement were removed using ultrasonic vibration under microscopy.
• Post-removal tooth root volume was measured again using micro-CT.
• Statistical analysis (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, Tukey's post hoc test) was performed.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant difference in tooth root volume change was observed among the tested groups.
• The combination of stainless steel posts and glass-ionomer cement resulted in significantly more tooth root volume loss compared to other groups.
• The specific combination of serrated parallel-sided stainless steel posts with glass-ionomer cement showed the greatest structural compromise.

Conclusions:

• Serrated parallel-sided stainless steel posts cemented with glass-ionomer cement cause the most significant tooth root structure loss upon removal.
• The findings highlight the importance of considering the post and cement system's impact on long-term tooth preservation.
• Clinicians should be aware of the potential for increased tooth structure loss with specific post-cement combinations during post removal procedures.