Influence of Biological Dentin Post on Fracture Resistance of Endodontically Treated Anterior Teeth: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: A biological dentin post is recommended when more support for the restoration is needed and there is a severe loss of tooth structure. However, whether the use of biological dentin post affects the fracture resistance of the restored anterior teeth is not impervious. Aim: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the fracture resistance of endodontically treated and restored anterior teeth and to answer the research question, “Does the use of biological dentin post influence fracture resistance of endodontically treated anterior teeth?” Materials and Methods: In the present systematic review, the initial search was performed on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Cochrane. According to inclusion criteria, additional records from all other resources like the citation database of related articles were also performed. The articles were searched between January 2000 to December 2021. The risk of bias was evaluated by using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. The keywords for search strategy were “Biological Dentin Post” OR “Dentin Post” OR “Biological Post” OR “Experimental Dentin Post” AND “Fracture Resistance” OR “Dentin Post Failure” OR “Biological Post Failure” Results: After removal of duplicates and title and abstract screening, five studies met the inclusion criteria. Three studies were considered having/showing high-risk of bias and two studies were considered having/showing medium risk. The data concluded that the biological dentin post exhibited higher fracture resistance in three studies. However, one study concluded that both dentin post and glass fibre post may be preferred for additional reinforcement of immature teeth. Another study disclosed that human dentin, bovine dentin and prefabricated glass fibre posts presented similar values of fracture resistance. Conclusion: The use of biological dentin post increases the fracture resistance of endodontically treated and restored teeth. Also, future studies should follow a standardised approach to implementation and reporting of data.