No abstract

No abstract

This study examined the effect of glass fiber posts on increasing the fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth. Extracted upper premolars with two canals in a root were divided into three groups according to the number of posts they were restored with: none, one, or two. All teeth were endodontically treated, crown-sectioned, and restored with a composite core and a metallic crown. A static oblique load was applied to the restored tooth until fracture, and the fracture pattern was recorded. Stress distributions were examined by finite element analysis (FEA). Teeth with glass fiber post(s) showed significantly higher fracture loads compared with those without posts. In the premolars without posts, von Mises and maximum principal stresses were found on the root surface alone; in premolars restored with posts, stresses were distributed on both root and post surfaces. Risk of root dentin fracture was significantly lowest in teeth restored with two posts.

Type I collagen, the major organic component of human dentin, plays an important role in regulating the mechanical strength of dentin. Collagen in dentin can be strengthened by heating. We hypothesized that UV irradiation could produce similar strengthening effects and might maintain the strength of dentin after rehydration. Beam-shaped dentin specimens from the crowns of human third molars were subjected to flexural testing. Flexural strengths were two and three times greater than those in the control group after 5 minutes' UV irradiation and heating to 140 degrees C, respectively. After 30 days of rehydration, the heated specimens reverted to their original strength, whereas the UV specimens were 69% stronger than the original. Raman spectra of dental collagen were unchanged after heating, whereas several peaks, including a C-C bond in a proline ring, were amplified by UV irradiation. It is concluded that dentin strengthened by UV irradiation retains strength after rehydration because of chemical changes in collagen.