Translucent quartz-fiber post luted in vivo with self-curing composite cement: case report and microscopic examination at a two-year clinical follow-up.
A maxillary central incisor with mild periodontitis and extensive loss of coronal tooth structure was endodontically treated and restored with a translucent quartz-fiber post and a composite core. Treatment was completed with the cementation of full-ceramic crowns on teeth 11 and 21. Informed consent was obtained from the patient. Due to the extent of the periodontal disease, tooth 11 was extracted two years later. With the patient's consent, the tooth was used for research. The tooth was sectioned at 11 levels perpendicularly to the long axis and investigated by means of optical microscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The visual examination showed perfect adhesion between the various interfaces (restoration-dentin-post) at both the coronal and root levels. The adhesion between the post and dentin appeared to be free of gaps, and even where the composite cement showed a nonhomogeneous thickness, voids were not apparent. The tooth under examination allowed the authors to check the effectiveness of the adhesion and the integrity of the hybrid layer after exposure to the oral cavity for two years. The results of this investigation show that there were no gaps between the adhesive resin and dentin and no hydrolysis of the adhesive bond. This case suggests that it is possible to obtain good results in the short term from the cementation of quartz-fiber posts with composite resin cements.