Effect of Fabrication Technique and Thermal Cycling on the Bond Strength of CAD/CAM Milled Custom Fit Anatomical Post and Cores: An In Vitro Study

Purpose: This study is to investigate the effect of milling custom fit anatomical post and cores from fiber reinforced composite and high-density polymer blocks using CAD/CAM technology on the bond strength to root canal dentin compared with prefabricated fiber posts, and to evaluate the influence of thermal cycling on the push out bond strength of the tested materials. Materials and Methods: Eighty extracted single-rooted premolars, endodontically treated and prepared to receive the posts, were randomly divided into four groups (n = 20): BLC: Custom-milled fiber-reinforced composite posts and cores (Trilor, Bioloren), AMC: Custom-milled high-density polymer posts and cores (Ambarino, Creamed), BLP: Prefabricated fiber-reinforced composite posts and composite core buildups (Bioloren; Filtek Bulk Fill Posterior, 3M). The posts used have the same matrix and fiber composition as BLC, RXP: Prefabricated posts and composite core buildups (RelyX fiber post, 3M; Filtek Bulk Fill Posterior); used as a control group. All of the posts were cemented using a self-adhesive resin cement (RelyX U200, 3M). Half of the sample was randomly assigned to thermal cycling in distilled water for 6,000 cycles to simulate aging, while the other half was tested for bond strength without thermal cycling. A push-out test was conducted using a universal testing machine until failure. Bond strength values were calculated in megapascals (MPa). The mode of failure was observed using a stereo microscope. Results were analyzed by two-way ANOVA followed by a Bonferroni post hoc test for comparison. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Push-out bond strength was significantly higher (p <0.001) in the CAD/CAM post groups than in the groups with prefabricated posts regardless of the post material, while aging of the teeth did not significantly affect the push-out strength (p = 0.536). Failures were adhesive between cement and dentin for all groups except for AMC, where adhesive failure between the cement and the post was also observed. Conclusion: The CAD/CAM manufacturing technique was proved to ameliorate the retention of the post and cores in the root canal. Thermal cycling did not affect the bond strength of the tested groups.