METHODS: The inclusion criteria was a single endodontically-treated tooth with a fiber post system on a human study in English. The outcome failures on post systems for endodontically-treated teeth were a loss of post retention, post fracture, and root fracture. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria for a single tooth restoration of endodontically-teated tooth. The quality assessment was based on a random assignment, sample size calculation, inclusion/exclusion criteria, follow-up achieved, a blind design, patient follow-ups (intent to treat), and compatability of control and treatment groups.
SEARCH STRATEGY AND DATA EXTRACTION: Search terms were endodontic-treated tooth, fiber reinforced-post systems, success/failure, kaplan-Meier test, restoration, success/failure, and human studies. Selection of randomized or quasi-randomized clinical trials, endodontically-treated permanent teeth, prefabricated reinforced carbon fiber post. Electronic searches were performed in Cochrane, MEDLINE(OVID) and PubMed databases. Each study that met the inclusion criteria was assessed for the quality of the study.
RESULTS: The failure rate for prefabricated reinforced fiber posts was 7.8.
CONCLUSION: The placement of a fiber-reinforced post can protect against failure.