# Radiographic assessment of the quality of post and core restorations performed by general dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia

## TL;DR

This study evaluates the technical quality of post and core restorations in Saudi Arabia using radiographs and finds that post quality is suboptimal.

## Contribution

The study provides an empirical assessment of post and core restoration quality among general dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia.

## Key findings

- Maxillary molars were the most frequently restored teeth, with prefabricated metallic posts being the most common.
- Only 58.2% of posts had acceptable length, and 62.8% showed adequate gutta-percha homogeneity.
- The technical quality of posts was found to be suboptimal compared to established standards.

## Abstract

Dentists utilize various techniques and materials for post and core restoration of endodontically treated teeth, which remains a noteworthy health concern and can be addressed through interdisciplinary strategies to enhance outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the technical quality of the residual gutta-percha (GP) and posts by analysing the periapical radiographs of endodontically restored teeth.

A total of 594 periapical digital radiographs were evaluated for tooth type, post material, post shape, design, diameter, length, residual GP, GP length, GP tapering, GP homogeneity, and final restoration. Frequency distribution and cross-tabulation of the variables were performed.

Maxillary molars had the highest frequency of restorations, including posts, accounting for 27.4 %, followed by maxillary premolars (25.4 %) and maxillary anterior teeth (19.2 %). The prefabricated metallic posts were most commonly used (81.0 %), among these, 50.4 % were screwed posts. Tapered posts were the most commonly used (65.6 %). The percentage of posts with an acceptable length was 58.2 %. The most commonly used posts exhibited a width of one-third of the root diameter, accounting for 87.0 %. Suitable GP lengths were observed in 61.1 % of the restorations, and 62.8 % demonstrated adequate GP homogeneity. The findings of this study revealed that crown restoration accounted for 42.6 % of the studied sample.

The technical quality of the remaining GP after restoration was comparable to that of previous epidemiological investigations. However, the technical quality of the post was deemed suboptimal.