Comparison of the Retention of 5 Core Materials Supported by a Dental Post

Purpose: This study evaluated the retention of dental post heads (No. 2 Flexi-Post) embedded in 5 core materials (1 automix resin composite, 2 hand-mixed resin composites, and 2 glass ionomers). Materials and Methods: Samples were prepared by embedding post heads in 4.5-mm-thick disks of core material. Results: The resin composite materials provided significantly more retention than the glass-ionomer-based materials. The post head retention of the automix resin composite was comparable to that of the hand-mixed resin composites. Conclusion: Unlike the resin composite samples, all the glass-ionomer samples fractured during testing. This is an unacceptable condition for a clinically successful restoration.