The aim of this study was to compare in vitro the bond strength (BS) between fiberglass posts and flared root canals reinforced with different materials. The roots of 48 premolars were endodontically treated. After one week, the root canals were prepared to simulate an oversized root canal, except for the positive control group (PCG), which was cemented with a prefabricated fiber post (PFP) compatible with the root canal size, simulating an ideal adaptation. The other samples (n=8/group) were used to test alternative restorative techniques for filling root canals: negative control group (NCG [PFP with a smaller diameter than of the root canal]), composite resin group - CRG, bulkfill group - BFG, self-adhesive cement group - SAG, and glass ionomer group - GIG. The posts were cemented and after 1 week, each root was sectioned transversely into six 1-mm thick discs and the push-out test was done to evaluate the BS. Data were analyzed by two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey's tests (α=0.05). The highest BS value was observed for PCG. The NCG and the GIG groups showed the lowest BS values. Root reinforcement with conventional and bulk-fill composite resins showed the highest BS values; however, the bulk-fill resin was the only treatment able to maintain high BS values in all regions of the root canal. The self-adhesive cement showed intermediate results between CRG and GIG. Root reinforcement with bulk-fill composite resin is an effective option for flared root canals before cementation of a prefabricated fiber post.

This study evaluated the influence of the cementation system on the regional push-out bond strength and failure pattern of fiber posts to radicular dentin. The roots of 48 extracted human incisors were prepared and divided into 3 groups (n=16), according to the cementation system: AdperScotchbond Multi-Purpose + resin cement RelyX ARC (SBMP+ARC); Adper SingleBond 2 + RelyX ARC (SB+ARC) and; RelyX U100 self-adhesive resin cement (U100). The posts were cemented as per manufacturer's instructions for each cementation system. After 1 week, the roots were sectioned transversely into 6 discs. Two discs were obtained from the cervical, middle and apical thirds and the push-out test was carried out. The failure pattern was examined on all debonded specimens. The data were analyzed by two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey's test. When U100 was used, no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) was observed among the different root regions. Statistically higher push-out bond strength values were detected in the cervical third for SBMP+ARC and SB+ARC (p<0.05). The U100 showed significantly more mixed failures than SBMP+ARC in the apical third (p<0.05). In conclusion, the self-adhesive cement RelyX U100 was the only cement not sensitive to the root canal region.

RelyX U100 (commercially available outside Brazil as RelyX Unicem) was shown not to be affected by the operator's experience and therefore seems to be more suitable for use by less experienced clinicians. Materials and Methods: The roots of 48 extracted human maxillary central incisors were prepared and divided into six groups (n=8), according to combination of the above factors. Glass fiber posts were cemented in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer of each cementation system. After water storage at 378C for one week, the roots were crosssectioned into six 1-mm thick slices and the push-out test was performed (0.5 mm/min). Data were statistically analyzed by two-way analysis of variance and Tukey tests (a=0.05). The BS results obtained by dentist and student , 2013, 38-5, 555-564 for each cementation system were compared using the Student t-test (a=0.05).Results: Higher BS means were observed for the expert operators, irrespective of the cementation system used (p=0.006). RelyX U100 showed the highest bond strength, but it did not differ from SBMP + RelyX ARC. The Student t-test revealed that only RelyX U100 was not affected by the operator's experience.Conclusion: Within the limitations of this in vitro study, it can be concluded that the selfadhesive cement RelyX U100 showed the highest bond strength to the root canal in the student's group, and its performance was not affected by the operator's experience.

The following case report describes the three-year follow-up after rehabilitation of a flared root canal using a direct anatomic post (a resin composite combined with a prefabricated glass fiber post) associated with metal-free ceramic restoration. The report presents the clinical protocol for the fabrication of the posts, which provide an intimate fit to the remaining root and mechanical properties similar to those of the dental structure. These posts serve as an alternative to conventional metal cores.

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