Comparative Evaluation of Fracture Resistance of Different Post Systems

AIM: The study was done to evaluate the fracture resistance of carbon, glass fiber, and zirconia posts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five human premolars indicated for orthodontic extraction were subjected to root canal treatment and obturated with gutta-percha. All the teeth were decoronated and mounted in acrylic block. Then, teeth were equally divided into three groups: (a) carbon, (b) glass fiber, and (c) zirconia post group. Post space was prepared and particular post was cemented in post space. Core buildup was made with composite. A compressive load was applied using universal testing machine and fracture force was measured in MPa. The data were tabulated, and statistical evaluation was done using statistical software IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 21.0., IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA, using one-way analysis of variance for analysis of difference and Bonferroni post hoc test. RESULTS: Zirconia endodontic post had good fracture resistance (489.2 MPa) when compared with carbon (258.4 MPa) and glass fiber-reinforced post (348.7 MPa). Fracture resistance was statistically significant between test groups P>0.001. CONCLUSION: The present study concluded that zirconia had good fracture resistance compared to glass fiber and carbon posts.