Failure loads of all-ceramic cantilever fixed dental prostheses on post-restored abutment teeth: influence of the post presence and post position.

The influence of a fiber post-restored abutment tooth on the load capability of a three-unit zirconia framework cantilever fixed dental prosthesis (cFDP) was evaluated after simulated clinical function. Human lower sound premolars (n = 64) were distributed, in equal numbers, to four experimental groups: two vital abutment teeth (group I; control); mesial abutment tooth post-restored (group II); distal abutment tooth post-restored (group III); and mesial and distal abutment teeth post-restored (group IV). All specimens received an adhesively luted three-unit cFDP of veneered zirconia. Simulated clinical function was performed by two subsequent sequences of thermal-cycling (2 × 3,000 cycles) and mechanical loading (1.2 × 10 load cycles from 0 to 50 N) (TCML). Four specimens failed during TCML (one in each of groups I and IV and two in group II). The maximum load capability ranged from 365 to 538 N and was not significantly different between groups. Specimens with post-restored abutments failed mainly because of abutment tooth fracture of the distal abutment. The presence or position of post-restored abutment teeth has no significant impact on load capability of all-ceramic three-unit cFDPs. The risk of tooth fracture of the distal abutment teeth of a cFDP was significantly increased when one abutment tooth, irrespective of its position, was post-and-core restored.