Radiographic Assessment of 121 Glass Fiber Post Procedures in 32 Patients Aged 21-60 Years Performed by 6th-Year Dental Students During the 2022-2023 Academic Year at the College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

BACKGROUND The restoration of endodontically treated teeth (ETT) and severely damaged teeth has been a concern of clinicians. Glass Fiber Post (GFPs) combine the strength of carbon fiber posts with the esthetic appearance of glass to resemble natural dentin during dental restoration procedures. This radiographical study assessed the GFP carried out by students enrolled in the Clinical Comprehensive Course at the College of Dentistry, Jazan University. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 32 patients treated by 18 6th-year dental students with 121 GFPs were assessed in this cross-sectional radiographic study. The assessment covered tooth type, arch, post-to-root width, length of post in relation to the crown and root lengths, amount of remaining gutta percha (GP), and gap between GP and post. Data were analyzed using SPSS, and associations between variables were determined using the chi-square test. RESULTS Maxillary teeth were the most frequently restored with posts (88.4%) with most being (58.7%) anterior teeth, and 50.4% of posts had widths that were one-third that of the root. The percentage of posts was twice (71.1%) or equal to (26.4%) the crown length, whereas two-thirds of the tested GFPs were >5 mm of the remaining GP. Significant differences were observed in location and position of teeth with post width, post length in relation to crown or root length, and amount of remaining GP, with P values of 0.018, 0.000, and 0.001, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The assessed radiographs revealed that the performance of sixth year students in accomplishment GFP radiographically was satisfactory and within the values recommended in the literature.