Fibre post adaptation and bond strength in oval canals

Aim: To evaluate ex vivo the bond strength and adaptation of fibre posts with oval and circular cross sections luted in oval canals with post spaces prepared using dedicated drills or ultrasonic tips. Methodology: Forty extracted premolars with oval canals were root filled, then randomly divided into four groups according to the post space preparation device and the shape of the luted fibre post: dedicated drill + round post, dedicated drill + oval post, ultrasonic tip + round post and ultrasonic tip + oval post. Posts were cemented with a self-adhesive cement (RelyX Unicem 2; 3M ESPE). Samples were sectioned in 1-mm-thick slices and observed under a microscope, and the area occupied by the post within the post space area was calculated. Bond strength was then measured using a push-out test, and the failure modes were evaluated with a stereomicroscope at 40× magnification. Fibre post adaptation and push-out test results were evaluated by analysis of variance (P < 0.05). Results: Fibre posts, both round and oval, were better adapted to the apical region of the post space (P = 0.001). In oval canals, the bond strength was significantly higher in coronal regions, when the post space was prepared with a dedicated drill and an oval post was luted (P < 0.0001). Adhesive failures between cement and post were the most frequent type of failure in all groups. Conclusions: Circular and oval posts achieved similar adaptation to oval canals, but the use of ultrasonic tips and round posts resulted in reduced bond strength values.