An ex vivo comparative study on the retention of custom and prefabricated posts

AIM: This study was designed to comparatively evaluate the effect of cyclic loading on the retention of custom-fabricated fiber-reinforced composite (CF-FRC), prefabricated metal, and glass fiber posts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty mandibular first premolars decoronated at the CE junction were divided into three groups (n=10). Groups A, B, and C were restored using Para Post (Whale dent), Reforpost (Angelus), and CF-FRC post (Ribbond-THM), respectively. Five specimens from each group were subjected to cyclic loading. Tensile bond strength (TBS) was evaluated. RESULTS: Pre-loading TBS values were statistically, significantly higher for all posts (P<0.05). Before and after loading, there was a significant difference between group C as compared to groups A and B. CONCLUSIONS: Cyclic loading reduced the retention of all posts but was comparatively lesser for the CF-FRC post. This system provides sufficient retention required for clinical success.