Microleakage of endodontically treated teeth restored with 3 different adhesive systems and 4 different fiber-reinforced posts

Abstract

Statement of problem: Despite recent advances in adhesive dentistry, fiber-reinforced post/resin cement/dentin adhesive combinations are not able to prevent microleakage. While studies have examined microleakage in endodontically treated teeth restored with posts and cores, microleakage among post and adhesive systems remains a concern.

Purpose: This study compared the sealing properties of 4 adhesively luted post systems: glass fiber, quartz-glass fiber, zirconia-glass fiber and polyethylene fiber posts.

Material and methods: Forty-eight permanent maxillary central incisors were divided into 4 groups (n=12). Post space was prepared and each post was adhesively luted with 1 of 3 systems: a 1-stage self-etch, a 2-stage total-etch, and a 3-stage total-etch adhesive. The specimens were separately immersed in freshly prepared 2% methylene blue solution for 1 week. The cleaned specimens were then embedded in autopolymerizing acrylic resin. The teeth were horizontally sectioned into apical, middle, and coronal portions. An occlusal view of each section was digitally photographed with a stereomicroscope. The methylene blue-infiltrated surface for each specimen was measured and data were collected with software. Dye penetration was estimated as the ratio of the methylene blue-infiltrated surface to the total dentin surface. Nonparametric data were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis test (α=.05). The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compute multiple pairwise comparisons that identified differences among groups. Dentin-luting agent and post interfaces were evaluated with a scanning electron microscope.

Results: Significant differences in adhesive and post systems were observed in all sectioned regions (P<.05). There were significant differences between the apical and coronal sections of each post type, and between the following pairs: middle versus coronal sections of zirconia-glass fiber and glass fiber posts and apical versus middle sections of quartz-glass fiber and polyethylene fiber posts (P<.05). No significant differences were found among post types. The variables of middle section and 3-stage adhesive produced significant differences in microleakage between the following post pairs: zirconia-glass fiber versus quartz-glass fiber, zirconia-glass fiber versus polyethylene fiber, and quartz-glass fiber versus polyethylene fiber (P<.05).

Conclusions: The 3-stage adhesive and zirconia-glass fiber posts demonstrated the least microleakage.