Preference for Using Posts to Restore Endodontically Treated Teeth among Dentists in College of Dentistry/ Hawler Medical University

Abstract

Objective: Traditional restorative approaches are being modified as newer materials become available and patient preferences shift. The purpose of the study was to see if dentists' preferences for using posts and other materials associated to post used to restore endodontically treated teeth are influenced by practical experience, whether measured by the length of clinical practice time or level of specialty. 
 Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with dentists (n = 108) working at Hawler Medical University/College of Dentistry utilizing a questionnaire. Data on sociodemographics, clinical experience, postgraduate training, and post-endodontic restoration characteristics (posts/types of cement, rubber dam application) were obtained. The samples only included general and specialist dentists. A descriptive analysis was performed on the data. The Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test investigated the relationships. 
 Results: The most chosen materials were metal posts (53.7 %) and resin cement (50 %). There was a statistically significant association between clinical practice duration and post-use type (P = 0.017). In addition, there was a highly significant relationship (P = 0.001) between clinical practice time, level of specialty, and the use of rubber dams. 
 Conclusions: Dentists favored metal posts for post endodontic restorations, while resin-based cement was the preferred luting cement for the posts' cementation. Additional training and more clinical practice time were factors in several dental post-selection decisions.