Vertical root fractures and cracked teeth: post-endodontic root dentinal status through micro-CT assessment after ex vivo fiber post removal

This study aimed to investigate cracked teeth and vertical root fracture observable on micro-CT images of extracted roots of mandibular incisors, after fiber post removal.

Thirty mandibular incisors were selected with any degree of slight incisal wear inspected with the aid of a stereomicroscope under 12x magnification, in order to have a group of young adult specimens according to the criteria of Hugoson et al. A sample of twelve mandibular incisors were selected, aged between 20 and 30 years old, with similar dentine volume and thickness. The specimens were scanned in a micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) device and submitted to root canal shaping, root canal filling, post space preparation, post placement and post removal.

From a total of six experimental endodontic timepoints until post removal of 12 mandibular incisors, 64,800 cross-sectional images were analyzed and no vertical root fracture (VRF) or cracked tooth were detected.

Micro-CT assessment after ex vivo fiber post removal did not detect vertical root fracture or cracked tooth formation in the root canal walls of mandibular incisors.

This study highlighted that fiber post removal per se was not able to propagate VRF or cracked tooth formation or promoted any interruption of the integrity of human root dentin.