Knowledge and Practice of Iranian Dentists Regarding Post Space Preparation and Coronal Reconstruction of Endodontically Treated Teeth

Abstract

Background: Due to severe coronal destruction in endodontically treated teeth (ETT), the canal space is often utilized to provide retention for the core material. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge level and practices of Iranian dentists regarding post space preparation and coronal reconstruction of ETT. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 117 dentists at Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences in 2021. Data were collected using a two-part questionnaire. The first part included 6 questions regarding the demographic information of the participants. The second part comprised 10 questions regarding the methods of post space preparation and coronal reconstruction of ETT. SPSS-20 software was used to analyze the data, calculating frequency (%), mean, and standard deviation. Results: 44.4% of the participants used amalgam along with a prefabricated post, 59% correctly identified the definition of the ferrule effect, and 87.2% believed that the ferrule effect increases fracture resistance. Additionally, 39.3% reported preparing the post space immediately after obturation; 91.5% used rotary instruments for removing root filling material, 93.2% reported cleaning the post space prior to cementation of the intracanal post, and 35.9% used saline for this purpose. Moreover, 72.9% believed that teeth with post and core necessarily require a prosthetic crown, and 94% used full-coverage crowns for ETT. Coronal fracture was reported by 62.4% as the most common cause of failure of ETT. Conclusions: The knowledge level of dental clinicians regarding post space preparation and coronal reconstruction of ETT was moderate, while their practice level was poor. The most common variables that had a significant relationship were age and academic degree.