Post and Core Restorations of Endodontically Treated Teeth: A Cross-Sectional Study of Moroccan Dentists

The loss of tooth structure following endodontic treatment weakens endodontically treated teeth, often requiring post and core to ensure the stability of restorations. Post and core restoration can be performed using direct techniques, which involve a prefabricated post combined with a coronal reconstruction in a single session, or using indirect techniques requiring the fabrication of an inlay core in a laboratory.

This study aimed to evaluate the techniques and materials currently used by dentists in the Casablanca-Anfa prefecture.

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between February and June 2024 among private dental practitioners in the Casablanca-Anfa prefecture, Morocco. A simple random sample of 245 dentists was selected from the official registry of the Southern Regional Council of Dentists. Data were collected using a validated structured questionnaire assessing practitioners' demographics and corono-radicular restoration practices. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0, with qualitative variables expressed as frequencies and percentages. A total of 244 valid responses were analyzed.

Direct post and core restorations were frequently used in 90.2% of cases, mainly with fiberglass posts (91.5%), non-adhesive cements (48.5%), and flowable composite (73.3%). Indirect techniques were reserved for severe decay, and computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) inlay cores were rarely used (5.2%).