An analysis of durability data on post and core restorations

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Restorative Dentistry
• Clinical Research Methodology

Background:

• Post and core restorations are crucial for endodontically treated teeth.
• Assessing the long-term clinical durability of various post and core systems is essential for treatment planning.
• Previous literature reviews have not comprehensively synthesized durability data using meta-analytic approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze clinical data on the durability of post and core restorations published since 1970.
• To evaluate the survival rates of different post and core materials and designs.
• To assess the applicability of meta-analytic methods for synthesizing clinical durability data in restorative dentistry.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analytic procedure was employed to review dental literature from 1970 onwards.
• Fourteen publications containing durability data for post and core systems were identified.
• Eleven studies were excluded based on predefined criteria, leaving three for detailed analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Main Results:

• Survival rates in the included studies varied significantly, ranging from 77.6% to 98.6%.
• Reconstructed 6-year survival rates were 81% (SE 6%) for resin composite build-ups with screw posts and 91% (SE 3% and 2%) for cast posts and cores.
• Data heterogeneity prevented a combined overall survival assessment, but survival data within studies showed homogeneity.

Conclusions:

• Despite data heterogeneity, the meta-analytic approach proved effective in analyzing clinical durability.
• Cast posts and cores demonstrated higher long-term survival rates compared to resin composite build-ups with screw posts in this analysis.
• Further research with standardized methodologies is needed to refine survival assessments of post and core systems.