Mechanical Properties of PEEK Post-Cores Compared to Other Post-Cores: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Recently, polyetherpolyetherketone (PEEK) has gained popularity as a dental biomaterial. However, there is a lack of consensus on its potential use as an endodontic post-core material. The aim of this review was to systematically critique and synthesize the evidence on PEEK-based post-cores in comparison to other materials. An electronic search was conducted on PubMed, Medline, Embase, ISI Web of Science, Ovid, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrials.Gov using relevant keywords. Seven in vitro studies were included in this review. Meta-analysis of fracture resistance was carried out on results reported in three studies. Overall, in most of the studies, PEEK post-cores performed similar to glass-fiber post-cores. The meta-analysis revealed no significant difference between the fracture strengths of PEEK and glass-fiber post-cores. However, in most studies, several sources of bias were identified. Within the limitations of this review, it may be concluded that mechanical and physical properties of PEEK posts are similar to those of glass-fiber post-cores. Nonetheless, long-term clinical studies are required to translate these conclusions into clinical practice.