A Comparative Evaluation of the Retention of Tooth Coloured and Stainless Steel Endodontic Posts: An In-vitro Study.

AIMS: This in vitro study evaluated: a) the retention of stainless steel posts of 1.5 mm diameter which were cemented with Zinc Phosphate cement versus Glass fiber posts with 1.1 mm, 1.3 mm and 1.5 mm diameters which were cemented with resin cement and b) the effect of change in diameter on the retention of Glass fiber posts with 1.1 mm, 1.3 mm and 1.5 mm diameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty extracted mandibular premolar teeth were endodontically treated and randomly assigned to four groups of fifteen teeth each. In Groups I, II and III glass fibre posts with diameters 1.1 mm, 1.3 mm and 1.5 mm were cemented by using resin cement. In Group IV, stainless steel posts with diameter 1.5 mm were cemented by using zinc phosphate cement. The specimens were tested for tensile loading at a cross head speed of 2.0 mm/min, on a universal testing machine. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: One way analysis of variance and Tukey's (post-hoc) test. RESULTS: Mean tensile strength from highest to lowest was in the order of Group IV, Group II, Group III, Group I. Statistically significant differences were observed between the mean tensile strengths between Groups I and II, Groups I and III, Groups I and IV, Groups II and IV, Groups III and IV, while non significant differences were observed between Groups II and III. CONCLUSION: Stainless steel posts were more retentive than glass fibre posts. Glass fibre posts with 1.3 mm or 1.5 mm diameters provided significantly greater retention as compared to 1.1 mm diameter posts.