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  • SCIENTIFIC SESSION

    238THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ESTHETIC DENTISTRY

    70-6.&t/6.#&3t46..&3

    The ideal restoration of endodonti-

    cally treated teeth structural and

    esthetic considerations: a review of

    the literature and clinical guidelines

    for the restorative clinician

    Konrad Meyenberg, DMD Private Office for Reconstructive Dentistry

    Zrich, Switzerland

    Correspondence to: Konrad Meyenberg

    Private Office for Reconstructive Dentistry, Rennweg 58 / Eingang Oetenbachgasse 26, 8001 Zrich, Switzerland;

    E-mail: [email protected]; Web: www.zahnaerzte-rennweg.ch

  • MEYENBERG

    239THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ESTHETIC DENTISTRY

    70-6.&t/6.#&3t46..&3

    One of the most challenging dilemmas

    faced by todays clinician is the manage-

    ment of the structurally and esthetically

    compromised endodontically treated

    tooth. Certainly, in recent years there has

    been a tendency to take the simplified

    approach of extraction and implant

    but this does not always prove to be as

    simple as we would like to think. Has

    the popularity of dental implantology

    made the restorative dentist complacent

    in regards to the possibilities that good

    endodontic, periodontal and restorative

    treatments can achieve? Without doubt

    the dental implant option has its place,

    and rightly so, but in many cases, I sus-

    pect, the endodontic/restorative option

    does not always receive its due merits.

    Whenever we are faced with such a

    compromised tooth, we have to con-

    sider the following question: is the tooth

    maintainable? If so, then this is surely

    our primary goal. However, the question

    is complicated by the context ie, is this

    a young patient? Is this a bridge abut-

    ment? Is there an esthetic challenge, ie,

    a dark tooth? In the younger patient, it

    may be desirable to maintain a poten-

    tially hopeless tooth for as long as pos-

    sible in order to buy time and delay the

    day of implant placement and its subse-

    quent eventual failure. Retreatment of a

    tooth is, more often than not, simpler with

    a broader range of options than retreat-

    ment of a failed implant, particularly in

    the esthetic zone. If this can be done

    239THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ESTHETIC DENTISTRY

    70-6.&t/6.#&3t46..&3

    for the younger patient, then why cant

    it be done for the older patient? On the

    other hand, perhaps it is more predict-

    able in a given case to remove the tooth

    and restore it with a dental implant res-

    toration. These and other issues are real

    concerns we have as practitioners and it

    is important to have objective as well as

    the subjective criteria on which to base

    our decision for the choice of restorative

    protocol.

    Are all endodontically treated teeth

    really less predictable than a dental

    implant-supported restoration? Are they

    really more likely to fail? Do they really

    have a poor prognosis? Do implants re-

    ally have fewer complications? Is retreat-

    ment as easy? Do anterior and posterior

    teeth behave the same? When is the

    prognosis of the tooth unfavorable and

    at what point is extraction and an im-

    plant the best option? These and many

    other relevant questions are eloquently

    addressed below by our essayist and

    EAED Active Member, Dr Konrad Mey-

    enberg. My hope is that this paper will

    serve to help us to question our treat-

    ment choices more critically in this area,

    suggest useful answers to many of the

    questions in this dilemma, provide us

    with objective criteria on which to base

    our judgements and finally offer solu-

    tions so that we can make better choices

    for the treatment of our patients.

    Dr Tidu Mankoo, BDS

    Moderator/Editors Introduction

  • SCIENTIFIC SESSION

    240THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ESTHETIC DENTISTRY

    70-6.&t/6.#&3t46..&3

    Abstract

    In restorative dentistry, the non-vital tooth

    and its restoration have been extensively

    studied from both its structural and es-

    thetic aspects.

    The restoration of endodontically

    treated teeth has much in common with

    modern implantology: both must include

    multifaceted biological, biomechanical

    and esthetic considerations with a pro-

    found understanding of materials and

    techniques; both are technique sensitive

    and both require a multidisciplinary ap-

    proach. And for both, two fundamental

    principles from team sports apply well:

    firstly, the weakest link determines the

    limits, and secondly, it is a very long way

    to the top, but a very short way to failure.

    Nevertheless, there is one major dif-

    ference: if the tooth fails, there is the op-

    tion of the implant, but if the implant fails,

    there is only another implant or nothing.

    The aim of this essay is to try to an-

    swer some clinically relevant concep-

    tual questions and to give some clinical

    guidelines regarding the reconstructive

    aspects, based on scientific evidence

    and clinical expertise.

    Rebuilding the ideal tooth from an endodontically treated tooth what does this mean?Essentially, the goal is to restore the ap-

    pearance and biomechanical properties

    comparable to those of a vital, complete-

    ly intact tooth. In addition, the coronal

    restoration should prevent bacterial re-

    colonisation of the endodontically treat-

    ed root canal system.1

    Clinically, most of non-vital teeth must

    be considered as structurally and es-

    thetically compromised.2 The fracture

    rate and as a consequence the risk for

    tooth loss is considerably higher com-

    pared to vital teeth.

    Part 1: Structural considerations

    What are the causes of fractures?

    There are several causes for the in-

    creased risk of cracks in endodontically

    treated teeth to be considered. Cracks

    predispose the tooth immediately or af-

    ter some time to fracture. The following

    four factors contribute to this predisposi-

    UJPO'JHTo Structural loss of tooth substance due

    to pre-endodontic restorative proce-

    dures or the endodontically induces

    access cavity preparation and root

    canal enlargements.5,6

    Increased brittleness by age induces

    changes in the dentin and the loss of

    free unbound water from the root ca-

    nal lumen and the dentinal tubules in

    pulpless teeth.7-11

    Weakening effects by endodontic ir-

    SJHBOUT /B0$M &%5" BOENFEJDB-tions (CaOH2 PO EFOUJO FGGFDUT PGbacterial interactions with the dentin

    substrates, corrosive effects of restor-

    ative materials, and negative mechan-

    ical effects through crack inducing or

    crack propagating endodontic and

    restorative methods and instruments,

    including endodontic files.12-16

    The reduced level of proprioception

    of non-vital teeth causes a reduced

    level of control of forces by the normal

  • MEYENBERG

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    protective neuromuscular inhibition

    mechanism.17

    Some of these factors may be influ-

    enced or modified to improve the prog-

    nosis, however the most important factor

    for success is to avoid any unnecessary

    loss of tooth substance in general and

    to preserve as much as possible after

    removal of all decayed material.

    Recent research shows that dentin

    has some very effective inherent proper-

    ties to inhibit crack progression (fracture

    UPVHIFOJOHNFDIBOJTNT

    UP PQUJNBMMZdistribute local stresses and to partially

    repair defects, as long as a tooth is vi-

    tal.8,9 However, a non-vital tooth will lose

    some of these properties over time. A

    key consideration is that the amount of

    collagen fibers in endodontically treated

    Fig 2 Fracture of first upper premolar due to deep cavity with endodontic treatment.

    Fig 1 Cracks in lower first molar due to deep cavity.

    Fig 4 Fracture originating from the apex of a canine due to the use of inadequate endodontic techniques.

    Fig 3 Fracture of palatal root of upper first molar due

    to endodontic treatment.

  • SCIENTIFIC SESSION

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    teeth decreases, which means that this

    dentin is much less fatigue resistant.17

    In addition, even vital dentin loses some

    of its initial strength over its lifetime: it

    shows a different fracture behavior as

    the mineral content increases over time

    and causes a less favorable fracture be-

    havior because of the increased brittle-

    ness.18,19

    Restorative options: what is the ideal concept?

    As a consequence, any attempts to

    restore a non-vital tooth must include

    not only the use of restorative materi-

    als with properties similar to the dental

    components, but also the use of clinical

    concepts that allow to compensate the

    inherent reduction of the mechanical re-

    sistance of endodontically treated teeth.

    A true so-called biomimetic con-

    cept20 therefore does not only implicate

    the use of particular materials similar in

    their properties to dentin and enamel,

    but also sometimes the use of particular

    materials with different properties to re-

    store the incomplete tooth as a whole in

    all its mechanical, biological and esthet-

    ical aspects,21 above all if the remaining

    tooth structure is compromised.

    Post or no post are posts destructive?

    In the past, fractures of teeth often have

    simply been attributed to inadequate re-

    storative procedures, be it by the use of

    inadequate core materials or the use of

    posts and screws. The introduction of ad-

    hesive techniques and their successful

    integration in almost all current restora-

    tive procedures has allowed the clinician

    to dispense with posts in many indica-

    tions, as they are no longer required for

    the retention of a core build-up.

    However, mindful clinicians can still

    observe a relatively high rate of vertical

    root fractures despite the absence of

    posts and even with the use of adhe-

    sive techniques above all in curved

    and small roots; indeed some authors

    report up to 20% of vertical fractures of

    endodontically treated teeth. Man-

    dibular molars and maxillary premolars

    are most often affected.25,26 Provided

    there is enough coronal dentin structure

    NPSFUIBOUXPUIJSETBWBJMBCMFJUTFFNTthat there is no difference between teeth

    restored with or without posts in this re-

    spect.27 Interestingly in this article, 86%

    of molars with vertical root fractures had

    the fracture in a root without a post.

    Therefore, as long as no active posts

    or screws are used, which may produce

    detrimental lateral forces on the den-

    tin walls,28 and as long as inadequate

    placement techniques with risk of per-

    forations are not used, posts per se

    may not be considered as destructive.

    When is a post indicated?

    The main reason to use a post today

    is no longer to increase the retention

    and resistance of a core build-up, since

    there are very effective adhesive tech-

    niques available. As discussed, provid-

    ed there is sufficient tooth structure avail-

    able, there is no longer a need to place

    a post. In premolars with limited

    amount of tooth destruction and molars

    where, in general, more dentin walls with

    greater surface area can be engaged

    to be bonded as compared to anterior

    teeth, a direct bonded core build-up is

  • MEYENBERG

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    70-6.&t/6.#&3t46..&3

    not be compensated simply by adhe-

    sive techniques using fiber posts and

    composite cores. In a recent long-term

    study over 7 to 11 years, the mechani-

    cal failures reached 7 to 11% and were

    always related to a lack of coronal tooth

    structure.

    If anterior teeth and premolars pre-

    sent with large defects that require

    crowning, however, adequate transfer

    of forces from the crown into the core

    build-up and from there into the root is

    not possible without a post. Importantly,

    the function of the post is not only the

    increase of the retention of the core, but

    also the optimization of the resistance

    form. In addition, the mechanical prop-

    erties of a composite core alone may

    also not be sufficient in the case of a

    narrow abutment diameter and cannot

    reduce high stresses in the critical cervi-

    cal area, which in such a case, is prone

    to horizontal fractures. A clinical study

    PWFS UPZFBSTXJUIDSPXOTCPOEFEdirectly to a reduced macroretention ge-

    ometry without posts clearly showed

    that the concept can work for molars

    (8795% success, depending from the

    BNPVOUPGSFTJEVBMDBWJUZXBMMT

    CVUEJEnot work for premolars, if there were no

    cavity walls at all and the crown was just

    bonded directly into the residual pulp

    DIBNCFSTVDDFTTSBUFTherefore, the purpose of a post and

    core as a unit is primarily to transfer the

    loads into the root and secondly, the

    post is used as a reinforcing element of

    the core build-up.

    The downside of this concept is the

    weakening effect on the root itself;

    to compensate for this, the ferrule effect

    must be incorporated into the restoration

    design.

    clinically the concept of choice; it can be

    regarded clinically as well established,

    reliable and perhaps preferable to con-

    ventional post-core concepts. In addi-

    tion, by avoiding posts, the risk of cracks

    due to thin residual root walls or perfora-

    tions can be eliminated.

    For anterior teeth and heavily compro-

    mised premolars, however, this state-

    ment is limited to teeth that present with

    small to moderate defects and that will

    later not be crowned.

    For posterior teeth, the best prognosis

    is achieved if in addition to a bonded

    core foundation a ferrule effectis cre-

    ated by the final restoration. This means

    that full cuspal coverage is used, be it

    a partial or full crown. Adhesive tech-

    niques alone without cuspal coverage

    may still lead to catastrophic failures

    over time (ie, untreatable long axis frac-

    UVSFTBOEDBOOPUCFSFHBSEFEBTDMJOJ-cally safe.

    It must be stated at this point that the

    ferrule effect is the most effective way of

    mechanical stabilization, ie, of optimiz-

    ing the resistance form, of any endodon-

    tically treated teeth.Given the weaker

    structure, as previously discussed, the

    effect of the better load distribution into

    the cervical zone and the avoidance of

    any wedging effect by the post or core

    build-up into the coronal part of the root

    cannot be overemphasized. Therefore,

    in order to provide a ferrule in situa-

    tions without sufficient tooth structure

    above the zone of the biological width,

    orthodontic extrusion or surgical crown

    lengthening should be considered. A

    ferrule length of 1.5 to 2 mm is recom-

    mended.

    It must also be stated that, obviously,

    the lack of coronal tooth structure can-

  • SCIENTIFIC SESSION

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    The ferrule effect may also compen-

    sate unexpected breakdown of adhe-

    sion after bonding and luting proce-

    dures in unqualified dentin conditions.

    A safe clinical concept always implies

    the incorporation of a belt and braces

    approach to offset routes of potential

    failure.

    A special indication for a post is the

    immature root, presenting with a large

    root canal.

    Obviously neither gutta-percha nor

    MTA nor composite have a significant

    reinforcing effect. In this instance, the

    only significant reinforcing effect is

    achieved with a post. This is in line with

    the clinical observation of increased risk

    of fracture in immature teeth left without

    post and core-build up after endodontic

    treatment.

    If a post is indicated: what post concept should be used: stiff or flexible?

    If something can break, it will break, and

    it will always break at the weakest point

    this basic finding and classic rule for

    construction is also true for this applica-

    tion and may explain the significant con-

    troversies regarding what would be the

    best of all the available concepts. The

    question may be not whether something

    will break, but rather where it will break.

    Almost all dental materials have been

    used clinically for posts. Still clinically

    relevant today are gold-alloys, chrome-

    cobalt, titanium, zirconia and glass fib-

    er posts. Carbon fiber posts have no

    clinical significance due to poor clinical

    performance and disastrous potential;

    therefore they will not be discussed in

    this article.

    #BTJDBMMZUIFSFBSFUXPDPOGMJDUJOHJT-sues causing some disagreements on

    the ideal material of a post.2 From a me-

    chanical standpoint, it is evident that a

    post stiffer than dentin can take up more

    load but induces more stress in some api-

    cal parts of the root, which can increase

    the risk of a vertical root fracture. Con-

    versely, a post that has an elastic modu-

    lus closer to dentin will, in fact, induce

    less stress concentration apically in the

    root, but more in the cervical region.

    In addition, the interface between

    post and core and between core and

    dentin is also subjected to stress, so one

    can expect to see more root fractures

    JSSFQBSBCMF GSBDUVSFTXJUITUJGGFSQPTUTmade from metallic or ceramic materi-

    als, whereas more flexible posts would

    show more post fractures, debonding of

    core materials and loss of retention (pos-

    TJCMZSFQBJSBCMFXJUITVCTFRVFOUQSPC-lems of leakage and caries. The latter

    may lead to endodontic reinfection and

    catastrophic coronal destruction of tooth

    substance, thus leveling out the poten-

    tial advantage of this latter concept over

    the first one.

    The dilemma for the clinician is the

    meaningful interpretation of the litera-

    ture, as countless studies have been

    published in this field, most of them being

    in vitro studies with questionable clinical potential relevance. Numerous theoreti-

    cal studies using finite element analysis

    have also been performed, which would

    all need to be verified according to clas-

    sic engineering principles in a real mod-

    el, but only a minority of the in vitro stud-ies have been performed with dynamic

    or fatigue loading under a simulated

    oral environment. Another difficulty is

    that study results are also influenced by

  • MEYENBERG

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    the structural condition, various types of

    natural teeth utilized and the respective

    loading pattern.

    One of the more clinically relevant in vitro studies compared cast posts and DPSFTUJUBOJVN5JQPTUTXJUIDPNQPT-ite cores, zirconia posts with composite

    cores and zirconia posts with ceramic

    cores, using, in all groups, adhesive

    techniques and a ferrule of 1 to 2 mm

    on central incisors where all teeth were

    crowned. The most favorable results

    JOUFSNTPGGSBDUVSFTUSFOHUI/BOETVSWJWBMSBUFDPVMECFBDIJFWFEwith the stiffest concept (zirconia posts

    XJUIBDFSBNJDDPSF

    BOEUIF MFBTU GB-vorable with the cast post and core sys-

    UFN/In contrast to this study with ideal tooth

    substrate, another study compared dif-

    ferent degrees of tooth destruction, us-

    ing fiber posts and composite cores or

    composite cores alone on premolars.

    It was shown that posts had a significant

    positive effect on fracture strength if only

    1 or 2 cavity walls were left, whereas no

    EJGGFSFODFDPVMECFGPVOEJGPSDBWJUZwalls were left. However, if a completely

    flat profile without any substance above

    the preparation line is used, most likely

    the post will debond as predominant

    mode of failure.

    Two facts are of special importance in

    the judgment of studies comparing dif-

    ferent concepts:

    The results of these in vitro studies largely depend on the presence or

    BCTFODFPGBGJOBMSFTUPSBUJPODSPXOPrincipally, differences in materials of

    posts and cores level out from the mo-

    ment where a crown is placed.

    If metal-free post and core concepts

    are to be successfully used, the es-

    tablishment of proper bonding be-

    tween all substrates is of paramount

    importance.51 If bonding fails, much

    less favorable stress patterns occur

    both in the root, above all in the critical

    cervical area, and in the post and core

    itself.52 As a clinical consequence,

    loss of retention of the core and post

    is still unfortunately the major compli-

    cation.

    Most of the clinical studies are difficult

    to interpret in their outcome, since the

    amount of tooth loss and the condition

    of the remaining dentin (pre-existing

    cracks, aging, endodontic treatment

    NPEBMJUJFTBSFOPULOPXOBOENBZIBWFinfluenced the choice of the concept.

    The scientific dilemma is very nicely

    expressed in a systematic review about

    the simple final question, whether a

    crown or a filling is more effective in the

    clinical performance for an endodonti-

    cally treated tooth. The authors con-

    clude There is insufficient evidence

    to support or refute the effectiveness

    of conventional fillings over crowns for

    the restoration of root filled teeth. Until

    more evidence becomes available cli-

    nicians should continue to base deci-

    sions on how to restore root filled teeth

    on their own clinical experience, whilst

    taking into consideration the individual

    circumstances and preferences of their

    patients.

    This statement shows not only the

    complexity of the topic, but also that

    clinical multifactorial reality does not al-

    low clear definition of one simple gener-

    ally valid concept.

    Nevertheless, there is still a need

    for clear clinical guidelines, based on

    scientific evidence paired with clinical

  • SCIENTIFIC SESSION

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    70-6.&t/6.#&3t46..&3

    expertise. Only this combination finally

    leads to clinical evidence.

    As a conclusion from numerous clini-

    cal studies, it must be stated that there is

    OPTVQFSJPSDPODFQUJOBMMSFTQFDUT#PUIdirect and indirect concepts and gold,

    Ti, fiber and zirconia posts work well if

    the respective concepts are properly ex-

    ecuted. The single most important point

    is to preserve as much remaining tooth

    structure as possible.

    Two additional arguments may require

    consideration for the reconstructive cli-

    nician: a) fiber posts offer the highest potential for reintervention due to their

    relative ease of removal, however their

    successful use clinically is much more

    technique sensitive,58 and b) post and cores with a high modulus of elasticity

    NFUBM PS [JSDPOJB PGGFS B IJHIFS GSBD-ture resistance as a foundation of the

    crown,50 which may be of significance

    for the long-term success of all-ceramic

    crowns.59,60

    What about bonding a post into the root canal space? Does bond-ing help in cases with extended amount of tooth destruction? What is the ideal surface condi-tioning of fiber posts?Looking at the results of a recent clini-

    cal 10-year fiber post study, a surpris-

    JOHMZIJHIBOOVBMGBJMVSFSBUFPGJTreported and an overall failure rate of

    XJUIGJCFSQPTUGSBDUVSFTBOE11% post debondings.61 The highest

    probability of a failure was reported for

    anterior teeth with no cavity walls.

    This is confirmed by another clini-

    cal study62 where premolars of varying

    degrees of destruction were restored

    with different concepts of build-ups. All

    teeth were finally crowned with porcelain

    GVTFEUPNFUBM1'.DSPXOT"OPWFSBMMfailure rate in this 6-year survival study of

    XBTSFQPSUFE8IFOPOMZBDJSDVMBSferrule of 2 mm or less was left, the fail-

    ure rate increased to nearly 90 to 100%

    GPSUIFOPQPTUDPODFQUUPUPGPSprefabricated posts, and to around 70%

    for the customized post concept.

    The results clearly suggest that pre-

    fabricated fiber posts are superior

    to customized fiber posts (glassfiber

    CBOESFTJOJNQSFHOBUFEPSDPNQPTJUFcores without any posts, if there are only

    2 walls or less remaining. However, even

    if in addition to the bonded core a pre-

    fabricated fiber post is used, the con-

    cept obviously fails to be convincingly

    successful in cases with extended tooth

    destruction.

    *ODPOUSBTUUPUIJTPWFSBMMGBJMVSFrate over 6 years of non-metallic posts

    and build-ups, a 10-year report of pre-

    fabricated metal posts and cast metal

    QPTUTBOEDPSFTSFTVMUFEJOBBOEPWFSBMMGBJMVSFSBUF

    RetentionThe almost doubled overall failure rate

    of fiber posts and the surprisingly high

    debonding rate must raise the question

    about the effectiveness and efficiency

    of this concept in general practice. Per-

    haps it is unsurprising given the inher-

    ently more technique-sensitive concept

    of the required adhesive techniques and

    the lack of a simple clear user protocol.

    A recent study compared the reten-

    tion of different fiber posts with different

    surface conditionings (performed ac-

    cording to the manufacturers recom-

    NFOEBUJPOTBOE MVUJOHBHFOUT JOEFO-

  • MEYENBERG

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    tin Ti-posts luted with conventional zinc

    phosphate-cement served as the con-

    trol group. The control Ti-post showed,

    together with some combinations of the

    test group, the highest pull-out strength,

    whereas some combinations of the test

    group showed surprisingly low values.

    This is in line with another study, where

    adhesively luted fiber posts were not

    superior to gold posts either adhesively

    luted or conventionally cemented with

    glass ionomer cement.65

    Adhesion to radicular dentinAdhesively luting a post into root den-

    tin is a controversial issue. Conflicting

    results have been published about the

    efficacy of bonding to radicular dentin.

    Probably due to the structural differenc-

    es in radicular dentin, bond strengths

    improve from the apical to the coronal

    section. Comparing the use of compli-

    cated separated dentin bonding and lut-

    ing procedures with simpler self-etching

    cements, it seems clinically more relia-

    ble to use self-etching and self priming

    cements taking into account the poten-

    tially somewhat lower bond strength to

    dentin.66-71 Inadequate ability to cure

    the luting agents precludes the use

    of light-curing materials. Dual-cure or

    chemically curing materials should be

    used instead, since different fiber posts

    indeed differ in their light transmitting

    properties, however posts with optimal

    mechanical properties do not allow

    enough light penetrating all over the

    whole length of the post to sufficiently

    polymerize light-cured materials.72

    Adhesion to post surfaceTo improve bond strength to the pre-

    fabricated fiber posts, chemical (silane,

    etching with hydrogen peroxide for

    NJO PS NFUIZMFOF DIMPSJEF GPS Tor micromechanical treatments (sand-

    CMBTUJOHPSBDPNCJOBUJPOPGCPUIIBWFbeen proposed. Surprisingly, sand-

    blasting seems to not affect the mechan-

    ical properties of the fiber posts.75 Sand-

    blasting with silanization is, therefore, an

    efficient, simple and predictable way of

    surface conditioning a fiber post before

    bonding.77,78 However, fiber posts are

    susceptible to water degradation, and

    damaging the surface will increase this

    phenomenon. Thus, a predictable bond-

    ing procedure that completely seals the

    post surface and avoids any voids is of

    paramount importance to preserve frac-

    ture resistance.79 Some manufacturers

    now use a coating on their posts to fur-

    ther simplify and improve the bonding.80

    Nevertheless, care should be taken to

    consider both the manufacturers rec-

    ommendations and their scientific basis.

    Mechanical propertiesMajor differences in the mechanical

    properties of different brands of posts

    is another critical point. Since there

    are now countless brands of posts on

    the market with a sometimes-unknown

    origin, a proper selection based on in-

    dependent scientific investigations is

    imperative to avoid basic mechanical

    failures.81,82 Using a fatigue resistance

    test, a difference of roughly 7,000 cy-

    cles until fracture for the worst and up

    to 2,000,000 cycles for the best post in

    UIJTSFTQFDUFRVJWBMFOUUPOPCSFBLBHFcould be shown. The quality of the man-

    ufacturing processes including type of

    fiber and matrix, pre-tensioning of fibers,

    bond between fibers and matrix, among

    other factors, play an important role.

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    Fig 5 Case 1: initial radiograph of non-vital cen-tral incisors with different degree of remaining tooth

    substance, final radiograph of build-ups with short

    GJCFSQPTUTQMBDFEPVUMJOFEGPSCFUUFSWJTJCJMJUZ

    Fig 6 Case 1: initial clinical situation, large com-posite build-ups, discolorations.

    Fig 7 Case 1: abutment teeth after removal of ex-isting composite cores.

    Therefore, both a sensitive indication

    and technique is mandatory for the suc-

    cessful use of the concept of fiber posts

    combined with composite cores (Figs 5

    UP

    Fig 8 Case 1: abutment teeth after internal bleach-ing.

    Fig 9 Case 1: build-ups of abutment teeth com-pleted with fiber posts and composite core, buccal

    view.

    Fig 10 Case 1: build-ups of abutment teeth com-pleted with fiber posts and composite core, occlusal

    view.

    Fig 11 Case 1: final clinical result.

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    Concluding remarks regarding the structural aspects

    The following statements regarding the

    structural aspects may be made:

    Where a crown is fabricated and a

    proper ferrule effect is created, neither

    the material (Ti, gold alloys, zirconia,

    HMBTTGJCFSOPSUIFTIBQFBOEMFOHUIof the post are a significant influence,

    as long as clinically reasonable con-

    cepts are used.

    Conversely, insufficient coronal tooth

    structure will always lead to an in-

    creased failure rate independent of

    the concept of restoration.

    Increasing the coronal diameter of the

    post helps to reduce the fracture risk

    of all posts, however the residual den-

    tin wall thickness needs to be consid-

    ered.

    Huge differences in the quality of fib-

    er posts require a careful selection to

    avoid post fractures.

    Materials with potential of corrosion

    TUBJOMFTT TUFFM CSBTT NBZ JOEVDFfractures of materials and dentin and

    therefore should not be used.

    Adhesive cementation of fiber posts

    is mandatory.

    Adhesive cementation of metallic

    posts is not mandatory.

    Core build-ups should always be

    bonded, even if a metal post is not

    bonded.

    Regarding the clinical reality, the fol-

    lowing additional statements must be

    made:

    $FSBNJD QPTUT [JSDPOJB DBOOPU CFremoved after luting, offer no potential

    for reintervention and should therefore

    be used in selected cases only.

    For abutment teeth presenting large

    defects and requiring crowning, or

    longer span bridges, or in general

    heavy loads, metallic posts are pref-

    FSBCMFPWFSGJCFSQPTUT'JHTUP

    Fig 12 Case 2: initial radiograph of second lower premolar with fiber post and PFM crown.

    Fig 13 $BTFSBEJPHSBQIZFBSTBGUFSUIFSBQZshowing post fracture, composite core debonding

    and crown dislodgement.Fig 14 Case 2: clinical view showing fractured fiber post and extensive caries destruction under-

    neath debonded composite core.

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    References, Part 1 .BOOPDDJ'#IVWB#

    Stern S. Restoring teeth following root canal re-treat-ment. Endodontic Topics 2011;19:125152.

    2. Kishen A. Mechanisms and risk factors for fracture pre-dilection in endodontically treated teeth. Endodontic 5PQJDTo

    (IFS.&+S%VOMBQ3.Anderson MH, Kuhl LV. Clinical survey of fractured teeth. J Am Dent Assoc o

    $IBO$1-JO$15TFOH4$Jeng JH. Vertical root frac-ture in endodontically versus nonendodontically treated UFFUIBTVSWFZPGcases in Chinese patients. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod o

    5. Reeh ES, Messer HH, Douglas WH. Reduction in tooth stiffness as a result of endodontic and restora-tive procedures. J Endod 1989;15:512516.

    6. Asundi A, Kishen A. Digital photoelastic investigations on the tooth-bone interface. +#JPNFE0QUo

    7. Jantarat J, Palamara JE, Lindner C, Messer HH. Time dependent properties of human root dentin. Dent .BUFSo

    8. Kishen A, Asundi A. Experi-mental investigation on the role of water in the mechani-cal behavior of structural EFOUJO+#JPNFE.BUFS3FT"o

    9. Kruzic JJ, Nalla RK, Kin-ney JH, Ritchie RO. Crack blunting, crack bridging and resistance-curve fracture mechanics in dentin: effect PGIZESBUJPO#JPNBUFSJBMTo

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    11. Jameson MW, Hood JA, 5JENBSTI#(5IFFGGFDUTPG

    dehydration and rehydra-tion on some mechanical properties of human dentin. +#JPNFDIo1065.

    12. Grigoratos D, Knowles J, Ng YL, Gulabivala K. Effect of exposing dentin to sodium hypochlorite and calcium hydroxide on its flexural strength and elastic modulus. Int Endod J o

    (PMETNJUI.(VMBCJWBMBK, Knowles JC. The effect of sodium hypochlorite irri-gant concentration on tooth surface strain. J Endod 2002;28:575579.

    4BMFI""&UUNBO8.Effect of endodontic irriga-tion solutions on microhard-ness of root canal dentin. J %FOUo

    4PV[B#JFS$"4IFNFTIH, Tanomaru-Filho H, Wesselink PR, Wu M. The ability of different nickel-titanium rotary instruments to induce dentinal damage during canal preparation. J &OEPEo

    16. Ferrari M, Mason PN, Goracci C, Pashley DH, Tay FR. Collagen degradation in endodontically treated teeth after clinical function. +%FOU3FTo

    17. Randow K, Glanz PO. On cantilever loading of vital and non-vital teeth. An experimental clinical study. Acta Odontol Scand o

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    19. Viguet-Carrin S,Garnero P,Delmas PD. The role of collagen in bone strength. Osteoporos Int o

    20. Magne P, Douglas WH. Rationalization of esthetic restorative dentistry based on biomimetics. J Esthet Dent 1999;11:515.

    21. Ni CW, Chang CH, Chen TY, Chuang SF. A multipara-metric evaluation of post-restored teeth with simulat-FECPOFMPTT.FDI#FIBW#JPNFE.BUFSo

    22. Tsesis I, Rosen E, Tamse A, Taschieri S, Kfir A. Diagno-sis of vertical root fractures in endodontically treated teeth based on clinical and radiographic indices: a systematic review. J Endod o

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    $PQQFOT$3.%F.PPSRJG. Prevalence of vertical root fractures in extracted endodontically treated teeth. *OU&OEPE+

    25. Tamse A, Fuss Z, Lustig J, Kaplavi J. An evaluation of endodontically treated vertically fractured teeth. J Endod 1999;25:506508.

    26. Vire DE. Failure of endodon-tically treated teeth: clas-sification and evaluation. J &OEPEo

    27. Salvi GE, Siegrist Guldener #&"NTUBE5+PTT"-BOHNP. Clinical evaluation of root filled teeth restored with or without post-and-core systems in a specialist practice setting. Int Endod J o

    28. Kishen A, Kumar GV, Chen NN. Stressstrain response in human dentin: rethinking fracture predilection in post-core restored teeth. Dent 5SBVNBUPMo

    29. Zarow M, Devoto W, Sara-cinelli M. Reconstruction of endodontically treated posterior teeth with or without post? Guidelines for the dental practitioner. Eur J &TUIFU%FOUo

    4PV[B&.EP/BTDJNFOUPLM, Maia Filho EM, Alves CM. The impact of post preparation on the residual dentin thickness of maxil-

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    'FSSBSJ.$BHJEJBDP.$Goracci C, Vichi A, Mason PN, Radovic I, Tay F. Long-term retrospective study of the clinical performance of fiber posts. Am J Dent 2007;20:287291.

    1JFSSJTOBSE-#PIJO'3FOBVMU1#BSRVJOT.$PS-ono-radicular reconstruction of pulpless teeth: a mechani-cal study using finite ele-ment analysis. J Prosthet %FOUo

    #JOEM"3JDIUFS#.SNBOOWH. Survival of ceramic computer-aided design/manufacturing crowns bonded to preparations with reduced macroretention geometry. Int J Prosthodont o

    4BUIPSO$1BMBNBSB+&Palamara D, Messer HH. Effect of root canal size and external root surface mor-phology on fracture suscep-tibility and pattern: a finite element analysis. J Endod o

    #PMIVJT)1#%F(FF"+Feilzer AJ, Davidson CL. Fracture strength of different core build-up designs. Am J %FOUo

    )FZEFDLF(#VU[')VT-sein A, Strub JR. Fracture strength after dynamic load-ing of endodontically treated teeth restored with different post-and-core systems. J 1SPTUIFU%FOUo

    4DINPMEU4+,JSLQBUSJDL5$Rutledge RE, Yaccino JM. Reinforcement of simulated immature roots restored with composite resin, mineral trioxide aggregate, gutta-percha, or a fiber post after thermocycling. J Endod o

    .BOHPME+5,FSO.*OGMV-ence of glass-fiber posts on the fracture resistance and failure pattern of endodonti-cally treated premolars with varying substance loss: An in vitro study. J Prosthet %FOUo

    lary molars. J Prosthet Dent o

    ,SFKJ*%VD0%JFUTDIJ%EFCampos. Marginal adapta-tion, retention and fracture resistance of adhesive com-posite restorations on devital teeth with and without posts. 0QFS%FOUo

    'PLLJOHB8"-F#FMM".Kreulen CM, Lassila LV, Vallittu PK, Creugers NH. Ex vivo resistance of direct composite complete crowns with and without posts on maxillary premolars. Int &OEPE+o

    (V[Z(&/JDIPMT+**Ovitro comparison of intact endodontically treated teeth with and without endo-post reinforcement. J Prosthet %FOUo

    4PV[B&.EP/BTDJNFOUPLM, Maia Filho EM, Alves CM. The impact of post preparation on the residual dentin thickness of maxil-lary molars. J Prosthet Dent o

    )FZEFDLF(#VU['4USVCJR. Fracture strength and survival rate of endodon-tically treated maxillary incisors with approximal cavities after restoration with different post and core systems: an in vitro study. J %FOUo

    'FSSBSJ.$BHJEJBDP.$Grandini S, De Sanctis M, Goracci C. Post placement affects survival of endodon-tically treated premolars. J %FOU3FTo

    4UBOLJFXJD[/38JMTPOPR. The ferrule effect: a literature review. Int Endod J o

    +VMPTLJ+3BEPWJD*Goracci C, Vulicevic ZR, Ferrari M. Ferrule effect: a literature review. J Endod o

    4PSFOTFO+".BSUJOPGG+5Intracoronal reinforcement and coronal coverage: a study of endodontically treated teeth. J Prosthet %FOUo

    /H$$%VNCSJHVF)#"M#BZBU.*(SJHHT+"Wakefield CW. Influence of remaining coronal tooth structure location on the fracture resistance of restored endodontically treated anterior teeth. J Pros-thet Dent 2006;95:290296.

    )FZEFDLF(1FUFST.$The restoration of endodon-tically treated, single-rooted teeth with cast or direct posts and cores: a system-atic review. J Prosthet Dent o

    50. Dietschi D, Duc O, Krejci *4BEBO"#JPNFDIBOJ-cal considerations for the restoration of endodontically treated teeth: a systematic review of the literature, Part II (Evaluation of fatigue behavior, interfaces, and in WJWPTUVEJFT2VJOUFTTFODF*OUo

    51. Krejci I, Duc O, Dietschi D, de Campos E. Marginal adaptation, retention and fracture resistance of adhe-sive composite restorations on devital teeth with and without posts. Oper Dent. o

    4BOUPT"'.FJSB+#5BOBLB$#9BWJFS5"#BMMFTUFSRY, Lima RG, Pfeifer CS, Versluis A. Can fiber posts increase root stresses and reduce fracture? J Dent Res 2010;89:587591.

    3BTJNJDL#+8BO+.VTJ-LBOU#-%FVUTDI"4"review of failure modes in teeth restored with adhe-sively luted endodontic dowels. J Prosthodont o

    'FEPSPXJD[;$BSUFS#de Souza RF, de Andrade Lima Chaves C, Nasser M, 4FRVFJSB#ZSPO14JOHMFcrowns versus conventional fillings for the restoration of root filled teeth. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012:16:CD009109.

    55. Fokkinga WA, Kreulen CM, #SPOLIPSTU&.$SFVHFSTNH. Up to 17-year controlled

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    clinical study on post-and-cores and covering crowns. +%FOUo

    4JHOPSF"#FOFEJDFOUJ4,BJUTBT7#BSPOF."OHJ-ero F, Ravera G. Long-term survival of endodontically treated, maxillary anterior teeth restored with either tapered or parallel-sided glass-fiber posts and full-ceramic crown coverage. +%FOUo

    57. Jung RE, Kalkstein O, Sailer I, Roos M, Hmmerle CH. A comparison of composite post buildups and cast gold post-and-core buildups for the restoration of nonvital teeth after 5 to 10 years. Int J 1SPTUIPEPOUo

    'FSSBSJ.#SFTDIJ-(SBO-dini S. Fiber posts and endodontically treated teeth: a compendium of scientific and clinical perspectives, ed 1. Wendywood, South Africe: Modern Dentist Media. Wendywood, 2006.

    59. Malament KA, Socransky SS. Survival of Dicor glass-ceramic dental restorations over 20 years: Part IV. The effects of combinations of variables. Int J Prosthodont o

    60. Malament KA, Socransky SS, Thompson V, Rekow D. Survival of glass-ceramic materials and involved clinical risk: variables affecting long-term survival. Pract Proced Aesthet Dent 4VQQMo

    61. Naumann M, Koelpin M, #FVFS'.FZFS-VFDLFM)10-year survival evaluation for glass-fiber-supported postendodontic restoration: a prospective observa-tional clinical study. J Endod o

    62. Ferrari M, Vichi A, Fadda GM, Cagidiaco MC, Tay '3#SFTDIJ-1PMJNFOJ"Goracci C. A randomized controlled trial of endodonti-cally treated and restored premolars. J Dent Res 2012;91:72S78S.

    (NF[1PMP.-MJE#Rivero A, Del Ro J, Celemn A. A 10-year retrospective study of the survival rate of teeth restored with metal prefabricated posts versus cast metal posts and cores. +%FOUo

    8SCBT,5,BNQF.5Schirrmeister JF, Altenburg-er MJ, Hellwig E. Retention of fiber posts dependent on different resin cements. Schweiz Monatsschr Zahn-NFEo

    65. Kremeier K, Fasen L, Klaib-FS#)PGNBOO/*OGMVFODFof endodontic post type (glass fiber, quartz fiber or HPMEBOEMVUJOHNBUFSJBMPOpush-out bond strength to dentin in vitro. Dent Mater o

    66. Ferrari M, Mannocci F, Vichi "$BHJEJBDP.$.KS*"#POEJOHUPSPPUDBOBMstructural characteristics of the substrate. Am J Dent o

    $BMJYUP-3#BOEDB.$Clavijo V, Andrade MF, Vaz LG, Campos EA. Effect of resin cement system and root region on the push-out bond strength of a translu-cent fiber post. Oper Dent o

    68. Huber L, Cattani-Lorente M, 4IBX-,SFKDJ*#PVJMMBHVFUS. Push-out bond strengths of endodontic posts bonded with different resin-based luting cements. Am J Dent 2007;20:167172.

    69. Monticelli F, Ferrari M, Toledano M. Cement system and surface treatment selection for fiber post lut-ing. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir #VDBM&o

    #BSBCBOUJ/.BEJOJ-Krokidis A, Acquaviva PA, Cerutti F, Cerutti A. Polymerization degree and cementation methods of two different self-adhesive lut-ing cements used for glass fiber post cementation. Minerva Stomatol 2012;61: o

    71. Sterzenbach G, Karajouli G, /BVNBOO.1FSP[*#JUUFSK. Fiber post placement with core build-up materials or resin cements An evalu-ation of different adhesive approaches. Acta Odontol 4DBOEo

    72. Radovic I, Corciolani G, Magni E, Krstanovic G, Pavlovic V, Vulicevic ZR, Ferrari M. Light transmission through fiber post: the effect on adhesion, elastic modu-lus and hardness of dual-cure resin cements. Dent .BUFSo

    .POUJDFMMJ'0TPSJP34BEFLFT, Radovic I, Toledano M, Ferrari M. Surface treatments for improving bond strength to prefabri-cated fiber posts: a lit-erature review. Oper Dent o

    :FOJTFZ.,VMVOL4Effects of chemical sur-face treatments of quartz and glass fiber posts on the retention of a compos-ite resin. J Prosthet Dent o

    75. Radovic I, Monticelli F, Goracci C, Cury AH, Coniglio I, Vulicevic ZR, Garcia-Godoy F, Ferrari M. The effect of sandblasting on adhesion of a dual-cured resin composite to methacrylic fiber posts: microtensile bond strength and SEM evaluation. J Dent o

    76. Soares CJ, Santana FR, Pereira JC, Araujo TS, Menezes MS. Influence of airborne-particle abrasion on mechanical proper-ties and bond strength of carbon/epoxy and glass/bis-GMA fiber-reinforced resin posts. J Prosthet Dent o

    77. Valandro LF, Yoshiga S, de Melo RM, Galhano GA, Mallmann A, Marinho CP, #PUUJOP.".JDSPUFOTJMFbond strength between a quartz fiber post and a resin cement: effect of post sur-

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    81. Cheleux N, Sharrock PJ. Mechanical properties of glass fiber-reinforced endo-EPOUJDQPTUT"DUB#JPNBUFSo

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    of fiber posts: three-point bending test and SEM evaluation. Dent Mater 2005;21:7582.

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    Part 2: Esthetic considerations

    Introduction

    In addition to the numerous issues dis-

    cussed in part 1 of this paper, non-vital

    teeth are frequently esthetically com-

    promised. This frequently presents sig-

    nificant and special challenges when it

    comes to meeting the demand for nat-

    ural-looking, esthetically pleasing teeth

    sought by our patients today.

    The aim of the second part of this pa-

    per is to try to answer several clinically

    relevant conceptual questions and to

    provide some clinical guidelines regard-

    ing the management of the esthetic as-

    pects, based on scientific evidence and

    clinical expertise.

    Why are most endodontically treated teeth dark?

    The discoloration of endodontically

    treated teeth is a common observation.

    In the posterior region, this phenom-

    enon is seldom esthetically disturbing

    or is largely addressed with full crowns,

    since endodontically treated posterior

    teeth present mostly with large recon-

    structions that require optimal stabiliza-

    tion by full or partial crowns.

    In the anterior zone, however, esthet-

    JDTDBOCFTUSPOHMZEJTUVSCFECZOFHB-tive effects:

    Discolouration of the clinical crown.

    Discolouration of the cervical region.

    Discolouration of the gingiva and mu-

    cosa.

    There are various causes of these en-

    dodontically induced intrinsic discolora-

    tions:

    Intrapulpal haemorrhage.

    Pulpal necrosis.

    Incomplete removal of pulp tissue

    during the endodontic treatment.

    Endodontic irrigants, medications

    and root canal filling material (root

    BOEDFSWJDBM[POF Restorative materials (cervical zone

    BOEDSPXO Coronal leakage.

    Dentin sclerosis.

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    Unfortunately almost all root canal seal-

    ers including Zinc Oxide-Eugenol and

    ")UPBMFTTFSFYUFOUMFBEUPEJTDPM-PSBUJPOBCPWFBMMJOUIFDFSWJDBM[POFAlso the use of MTA, be it grey or white,

    will ultimately lead to a greyish appear-

    ance or darkening of the root.5,6

    Furthermore, the calcification pro-

    cess in the dentin through obliteration

    of the dentinal tubules and changes in

    the free water content before and after

    endodontic treatment and through ag-

    ing processes, contributes to an altered

    optical appearance in addition to the in-

    creased brittleness.7-10

    How can we improve the color of UIFUPPUITVCTUBODF #MFBDIJOHor replacing discoloured coronal dentin?

    Although some of the above mentioned

    negative factors can be clinically modi-

    fied, it is evident that a non-vital tooth

    inevitably loses some esthetic qualities

    in terms of the color. As a matter of prin-

    ciple, replacing discolored dentin to cor-

    rect the color is not the preferable op-

    tion from a structural viewpoint. In part 1,

    the mechanical aspects to support this

    axiom have already been extensively

    discussed.

    Therefore, bleaching the existing

    substance is always the better option,

    if we agree on the principle that hav-

    ing a discolored tooth is preferable to

    having no tooth. Most discolorations

    are bleachable except those caused by

    metal ions (amalgam, or silver and other

    IFBWZNFUBMDPOUBJOJOHNBUFSJBMT2 So the only indication to remove discolored

    dentin may be if small spots that do not

    contribute to the structural resistance of

    the tooth are heavily discolored and do

    not respond to the bleaching procedure.

    Do bleaching procedures lead to external resorption?

    Cervical root resorption is a serious

    complication that is difficult to treat11,12

    and ultimately can lead to tooth loss.

    There are various reasons for this phe-

    nomenon. Orthodontic treatment and

    tooth trauma are the most common pre-

    disposing factor. Internal bleaching may

    increase the combinatory risk, however

    it seems to be limited to cases where

    extensive concentrations of H2O2 com-

    bined with heat (the thermo-catalytic

    NFUIPE XBT VTFE The presence of defects at the cemento-enamel junc-

    tion seem to play a major role, allowing

    the bleaching agent to penetrate into the

    periodontal space.15

    The recommendations today are

    therefore not to heat the bleaching agent

    in the access cavity, to seal the residual

    root filling well before application of the

    bleaching agent and to generally use

    less aggressive bleaching chemicals

    instead of high concentrations of H2O2.

    The best clinical compromise of ef-

    fect, side-effects, risks and long-term

    experience is in the use of the so called

    walking bleach technique16 where,

    classically, sodium perborate is mixed

    with water.

    In the authors long-term experience,

    this is clinically as efficient as other more

    aggressive chemicals, provided a cor-

    rect cervical and coronal seal of the

    bleaching cavity have been realized.

    The cervical seal is preferably achieved

    with a modified glass ionomer cement,

    classically applied at the level of the con-

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    nective tissue attachment, whereas the

    coronal seal is achieved with adhesively

    luted composite to ensure an optimal

    penetration of the bleaching agent into

    the dentin. Hence, leaving the access

    cavity open and using at-home tech-

    niques with open trays is not advisable.17

    Success largely depends from the ap-

    plication duration of the bleaching agent

    oEBZToUJNFTBOECZGBSPVUQFS-forms alternative quick in-office tech-

    niques in the long run.18 In a recent study

    it could also be shown that this concept

    compares very favorably to more ag-

    gressive mixtures of chemicals in terms

    of H2O2 leakage at different root locations

    with and without external defects.19,20

    Since cervical defects are difficult to

    detect with conventional radiographs

    and require cone beam computed to-

    NPHSBQIZ$#$5UFDIOJRVFT21 the use of this less-aggressive concept makes

    additional sense in avoiding added un-

    known risks while producing good es-

    thetic results.

    Do bleaching procedures weaken the tooth or may dark roots also be bleached?

    Recent research clearly shows that

    bleaching chemicals weaken tooth sub-

    stance.

    Since the endodontic treatment itself

    already weakens the dentin consider-

    ably through chemical and mechanical

    effectsCZUPJOTUSFOHUI25 additional care must be taken if a bleach-

    ing procedure is being considered.

    First of all, internal removal of dis-

    colored dentin should be avoided. It

    does not lead to better results with the

    described bleaching technique and will

    further compromise the strength of the

    residual tooth structure. This is an im-

    portant consideration particularly if ad-

    ditional reconstructive measures are to

    be executed26 and if the potential for re-

    intervention is taken into account.

    Second, as mentioned, bleaching

    agents themselves lead to a weakening

    of the tooth structure through the chemi-

    cal modification of the dentin.27,28 A re-

    cent publication supported the use of

    sodium perborate mixed with water in

    this respect, since this combination led

    to a significantly smaller additional open-

    ing of the dentinal tubules compared to

    all other bleaching agents. Interestingly

    DBSCBNJEF QFSPYJEF DBVTFE UIFworst effect.29

    Another important consideration is

    the influence of bleaching on dentin

    bonding. As emphasized in part 1, the

    quality of the internal reconstruction af-

    ter endodontic therapy is of key impor-

    tance in reconstituting the resistance to

    fracture. Using an adhesive approach is

    advisable but technique sensitive and,

    in general, all bleaching agents lead to

    reduced bond strengths and increased

    microleakage. Consequently, the use

    of antioxidants has been advocated to

    counteract this effect (eg, sodium ascor-

    CBUFBOEPSEFMBZJOHUIFCPOEJOHQSP-cedure for at least 10 days after washing

    out the bleaching agent The antioxi-

    dant is especially necessary and should

    be mandatory if bonding with simplified

    single bond dentin adhesives, or if de-

    layed bonding is not warranted or pos-

    sible.

    However, good dentin adhesion can be

    achieved if: a) sodium perborate mixed with water is used to bleach, b) the tooth is left with saline solution for 7 days after

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    removal of the bleaching agent, and c) a scientifically and clinically well estab-

    lished self-etching 2-step dentin bonding

    TZTUFNFH$MFBSGJM4&CPOEJTVUJMJ[FE For enamel, the same principle of waiting

    after washing off the bleaching agent is a

    simple and successful strategy. Recent

    proposals for new resin formulations that

    are supposed to allow immediate bond-

    ing after bleaching have not proved as

    effective.

    Since adhesion within the root remains

    a challenge even in ideal experimental

    Fig 15 $BTFEJTDPMPSFEOPOWJUBMSJHIUDFOUSBMincisor with PFM crown, initial clinical situation.

    Fig 16 $BTF JOJ-tial radiographic situ-

    ation. A carbon com-

    posite post had been

    placed.

    Fig 17 $BTFBCVUNFOUUPPUIBGUFSDSPXOBOEpost removal.

    Fig 18 $BTFIPMMPXDPNQPTJUFCVJMEVQGPSJOUFS-nal bleaching of coronal part of the abutment tooth.

    conditions owing to unfavorable ovoid

    root canal configurations and dentin mi-

    crostructure in the deeper parts of the

    root canal the root should not be

    further compromised by using bleach-

    ing techniques inside the root canal.

    As long as the intracoronal bleaching

    is performed within the access cavity

    reaching to the level where the connec-

    tive tissue attachment ends coronally,

    the results constitute a sufficient com-

    promise esthetically,26 even in the criti-

    DBMDFSWJDBM[POF'JHTo

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    Fig 19 $BTFDPNQMFUFECVJMEVQPGBCVUNFOUtooth with bonded fiber post and core, after internal

    bleaching with sodium perborate and water.

    Fig 20 $BTF HMBTT DFSBNJD DSPXO MBZFSJOHtechnique.

    Fig 21 $BTFGJOBMDMJOJDBMSFTVMU Fig 22 $BTF GJOBM SBEJPHSBQIshowing good adaptation of the short

    fiber post and bonded core to the den-

    UJOBMXBMMTMJHIUDVSFENBUFSJBMTVTFE

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    What about the predictability and stability of bleaching procedures?

    There has been some debate about the

    predictability and long-term effective-

    ness of internal bleaching, with de-

    scribed esthetic success rates of around

    90% after 2 years, 75% after 5 years and

    60% after 16 years. The potential causes

    for the recurrence of discoloration have

    been suggested as: a) the same sub-stances as those having caused the ini-

    tial discoloration, or b) penetration of pig-ments from the oral cavity, or c) bacterial reinfection of the root canal system with

    subsequent infiltration into the cervical

    and coronal dentin.1

    From long-term studies and clinical

    observations, the following can be con-

    cluded:

    Internal bleaching is a technique-

    sensitive approach. Potential rea-

    sons for failures are numerous, with

    coronal or apical leakage being the

    most frequent, and short-cut treat-

    ment protocols are more likely to have

    QSPCMFNT#PUI UIF DPSPOBM BOE UIFapical-cervical seal, along with the

    optical quality of the access restora-

    tion, account for success or failure.

    The prognosis of the bleaching pro-

    cedure is more prone to recurrence

    of discoloration if the tooth became

    rapidly discolored after the endodon-

    tic treatment.

    Subjective and objective satisfaction

    of the dentist or the patient may differ

    substantially.

    The potential for intervention and the

    concept of a progressive (conserva-

    UJWFBQQSPBDIEVSJOH UIF MJGFUJNFPGa discolored tooth are essential. Ag-

    gressive reconstructive concepts

    based just on esthetic considerations

    and early crowning can lead to prema-

    ture tooth loss. Therefore, bleaching

    instead of removing tooth substance

    is the preferable treatment, both for

    non-reconstructive and reconstruc-

    tive cases.26

    May crowns or veneers compensate darkened coronal tooth structure?

    First of all it is important to understand

    the concept of illumination of the oral tis-

    sues. The tooth with its clinical crown

    and root, the gingiva, the bone and the

    periodontium form an optical unit. Light

    is transmitted by diffuse reflection into

    the tissues. It is therefore critical not to

    disturb this delicate system with discol-

    Fig 23 Limited light conducting properties of fib-er posts with good mechanical properties preclude

    the use of long posts, if light-cured materials are to

    be used.

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    orations or by the introduction of inad-

    equate opaque or dark restorative ma-

    terials. Of particular importance in this

    respect is a soft color transition from the

    cervical third of the clinical crown into

    the adjacent gingival tissues.

    Since the mid 1960s, dental techni-

    cians and prosthodontists tried to imple-

    ment this concept in order to improve

    the esthetics of full crown margins. In the

    1980s, PFM crowns without metal collars

    were introduced, using shoulder and ve-

    neering porcelains with better light con-

    ducting properties to illuminate the adja-

    cent tissues. Despite these efforts,

    the results were never completely sat-

    isfying when the underlying tooth struc-

    ture was dark, or if there were vital and

    rather translucent teeth to be matched.

    Hence the search and development of

    true light conducting materials as frame-

    works with lower opacity than metal or

    the pre-existing all-ceramic cores.

    Today, in the case of vital teeth with

    adequate tooth substance, more con-

    servative bonded porcelain restorations,

    such as veneers and anterior partial all-

    ceramic crowns, are increasingly the

    treatment of choice as compared to full

    crowns, due to esthetic, technical and

    biological advantages. It is impor-

    tant to understand that the success of

    these restorations is largely based on

    the esthetic and mechanical advantag-

    es of the natural uncompromised tooth

    substrate as the foundation of the resto-

    ration rather than an artificial substrate.

    As a consequence of this success, the

    concept has been extended to endo-

    dontically treated teeth, with the idea be-

    hind to convert darkened tooth structure

    into vital looking tissues. Naturally

    this is not only relevant to bonded lami-

    nates and all-ceramic partial crowns,

    as a wide variety of all-ceramic crown

    systems exist today with excellent opti-

    cal properties and long-term survival, in

    particular, the new generation of glass-

    ceramic materials. In addition, these

    materials allow the provision of bonded

    full coverage veneer type crowns with

    SFEVDFEQSFQBSBUJPOTJNJMBSUPEF-HSFFWFOFFSQSFQBSBUJPO'JHTo

    Consequently, the management of

    discolored tooth substrate becomes

    increasingly important. It should be re-

    membered that all attempts to mask out

    discolored tooth substance will invari-

    ably end up with increased opacity and

    therefore unnatural reflection of the light

    instead of a diffuse reflection inside the

    materials. This is of particular importance

    when veneering a tooth with a discolored

    cervical zone, as the fine veneer margins

    cannot create the appropriate color tran-

    sition from the tooth crown into the gin-

    giva. If a full crown is provided in such a

    case, a pleasing result can be achieved

    by using opaque all-ceramic framework

    materials, provided that adjacent struc-

    tures are also more opaque and the gin-

    gival tissue is thick, but this is rather the

    exception than the rule.57,58 The same is

    true if opaque cements are used to cover

    dark underlying substance.

    Above all, trying to mask out dis-

    colored teeth should not result in over-

    preparation:59 the mission statement of

    Hippocrates primum nihil nocere (first EPOPIBSNTIPVMEBMTPCFUIFHVJEJOHQSJODJQMFIFSF'JHTBOE

    Thus the clinical concept for man-

    agement of discolored tooth substance

    should always consider internal bleach-

    ing as first option, even if the result will

    not be absolutely perfect.

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    If the tooth needs an additional indi-

    rect restoration, a veneer or full cover-

    age veneer-crown is an attractive and

    less invasive solution. In the authors

    own experience over the last 15 years

    from when the concept first was used,

    long-term results for esthetics and sur-

    vival rates in both types of restorations

    are comparable to all-ceramic crowns.

    However, in the literature there are only

    studies with vital teeth available at the

    moment, which show a survival rate of

    PWFS ZFBST GPS WFOFFST BOE100% for extended veneers over 5

    years.60,61 The observation of small su-

    perficial cracks not influencing survival

    is similar to what can be observed within

    the enamel of natural teeth.

    One drawback certainly is if the dis-

    colored tooth has already been restored

    with a post. If removal of the post without

    risk of damage to the root is viable, then

    the internal bleaching can be performed

    before a new post and core is fabricat-

    ed. If this is considered too risky, metallic

    posts and cores can at least be masked

    with a tooth-colored opaquer and com-

    posite to avoid to improve the substrate

    color for an all-ceramic framework.

    This leads to the next question: Can

    tooth-colored posts enhance the color

    of dark roots?

    Tooth-colored posts have long been

    advocated in esthetic dentistry. Since

    early trials around 1965 by John McLean

    with Alumina posts, the concept has

    been further developed to mechanically

    more reliable posts, with the introduc-

    tion of the first Zirconia posts in 1995

    and the first fiber posts in 1990.

    The proposed reasons for tooth-color-

    ed posts for esthetics in root treated

    teeth are:

    To illuminate the root and cervical re-

    gion and thus brighten up darkened

    tooth substance.

    Fig 24 $BTFEJTDPMPSFEBCVUNFOU UFFUIXJUIcast post and cores, leading to a disturbance in the

    illumination of the adjacent tissues.

    Fig 25 $BTFGJOBMQJDUVSFXJUI1'.DSPXOT%VFto the symmetry of the case, the suboptimal color

    transition from the abutment margins into the gin-

    gival tissues fortunately does not disturb too much

    in this case.

    Fig 26 Case 5: left central incisor with polished cast post and core, right lateral incisor with tooth-

    colored post and core.

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    To prevent any darkening effect of a post

    on non-discolored tooth substance.

    To create a tooth-colored basis for the

    core and the crown.

    While the first reason has already been

    disputed early on by experienced cli-

    nicians not being able to see any dif-

    ference in the color between a metallic

    post and a tooth-colored post put into

    the same dark root under natural light

    conditions, the second two points are

    good arguments for tooth-colored posts.

    In fact a recent study showed that there

    is no difference in the cervical color of

    abutment teeth between white and me-

    tallic posts, however tooth-colored posts

    and cores were beneficial for the overall

    color of the all-ceramic crowns.65 This

    is in line with observations of clinicians

    aware of these subtle differences.66

    Some care must be taken when trying

    to translate in vitro studies about color influences into clinical practice. Some

    subtle components of the color, such as

    the quality of the internal diffuse reflec-

    tion depending on the intensity of light

    and the softness of the transition into the

    marginal gingiva cannot be measured

    Fig 27 Case 5: final picture showing the good reflection properties of the polished metal part of the

    left central abutment tooth.

    Fig 28 Case 6: abutment teeth with various de-grees of discolorations.

    by photospectroscopic studies67 and

    may lead to incorrect clinical recom-

    mendations in specific cases.

    However, given the clinical and sci-

    entific evidence, there is actually little

    reason to take out existing well adapted

    and luted cast post and cores if the re-

    maining dentin itself is not discolored

    and does not require bleaching. It is

    clinically sufficient to mask the buccal

    part of the metal with a tooth-colored

    opaquer. If space and residual thick-

    ness of a gold alloy post and core do

    not allow to do this, another smart ap-

    proach is to polish the buccal part of

    the exposed metal to a high gloss, thus

    creating total reflection of the light at the

    core surface.68 This concept has been

    widely used by the author for years with

    no adverse effects regarding the reten-

    UJPOPGUIFMVUFEDSPXOT'JHToIn conclusion, it can be stated that

    the color of the remaining tooth sub-

    strate is of much greater importance

    than the color of the post and cannot

    be influenced positively by the post in

    the cervical and apical region, however

    having a tooth-colored post is beneficial

    for the core.

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    Can soft tissue thickening compensate darkened cervical root structure?

    A soft color transition from the crown

    into the soft tissue is essential for an

    esthetically pleasing result. In the pre-

    ceding pages, the focus was placed

    on the root and crown of the tooth and

    how negative effects can be managed.

    However, if discolorations are still pre-

    sent in the critical cervical supra- and

    subgingival zone, it makes sense to

    consider influencing the soft tissue

    characteristics.

    The margin of the soft tissue cover-

    ing the cervical part of the root plays

    an important role as a curtain to hide

    unpleasing structures. In addition, the

    buccal bone plate has also some mask-

    ing effect over a discolored root. A thick

    bone plate can virtually completely mask

    out the root discoloration. In periodontol-

    ogy, there is little information available

    about the masking effect of the soft tis-

    sue. In oral implantology, however, some

    studies have been performed looking at

    the influence of various abutment ma-

    terials on the color of the existing soft

    tissues, and how variations in the soft

    tissue thickness can modify the overall

    color resulting from abutment and cov-

    ering soft tissue. Since these abutments

    all have a subgingival component and a

    titanium implant base, this would appear

    to offer a situation well in line with a dis-

    colored root. Comparing zirconia, pol-

    ished gold alloys and machined titanium

    in a pig model, a visible difference was

    always present if the tissue thickness

    XBT CFMPX NN #FUXFFO UP NNin thickness, only zirconia (regardless of

    BOZWFOFFSJOHEJEOPUJOEVDFBDIBOHF*GUIFUIJDLOFTTXBTNNPSNPSFUIFmaterial itself had no influence.69 In a

    human study, comparing metal abut-

    ments and PFM crowns with all-ceramic

    abutments and crowns, the latter be-

    haved better, but there was still a visible

    difference for both groups compared

    to the adjacent teeth.70 Another study

    presented similar results,71 although no

    correlation between the thickness of the

    mucosa and the respective amount of

    discoloration could be found.

    In essence, the fiber content and the

    degree of keratinization may play a more

    important role for the masking ability

    than the soft tissue thickness alone. In

    this respect, the use of a connective tis-

    sue graft taken from the palate with its

    higher content of collagen fibers is the

    most promising approach using an en-

    velope technique to improve the esthetic

    integration of the augmented tissue.

    Some modifications in the technique, in-

    cluding a microsurgical approach, have

    been introduced to further decrease

    Fig 29 Case 6: layered glass ceramic crowns with internal opaquer and varying opacities of

    frameworks.

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    healing complications and unesthetic

    tissue scars.

    An additional benefit of this approach

    is the easier tissue handling during the

    reconstructive phase and the preven-

    tion of post-reconstructive recessions

    over time, which may expose further dis-

    colored root parts. Indeed, since many

    of the discolored teeth exhibit some cer-

    vical tissue loss over time anyway, this

    procedure can also be considered as a

    preventive treatment of a cervical reces-

    sion,76 dealing not primarily with health,

    but with stable, esthetic tissue levels. It

    may also serve to counteract the loss in

    cervical tissue height that occurs by tis-

    sue modeling during the aging process,

    which is more noticed around discolor-

    ed roots and is independent of the pres-

    ence or absence of dental restorations.

    As a conclusion, soft tissue thicken-

    ing may not completely solve the prob-

    lem of the discolored cervical hard and

    soft tissue zone, but it can improve the

    overall result by at least stabilizing soft

    tissue contours and preventing further

    exposure of discolored root surfaces.

    Final consideration: at what point should we give up and extract?

    It is fair to state that a tooth should be

    saved as long as there is a predictable

    way to functionally and biologically do

    so with a reasonable prognosis. This

    2-part article has shown various possi-

    bilities to overcome classic biomechani-

    cal and esthetic problems with respect

    to minimizing reconstructive risks. The

    basis for reconstructive survival in the

    context of this article, however, is the

    quality of the endodontic treatment as

    the starting point.

    It can also be stated that today too

    many teeth are extracted in favor of im-

    plants, with insufficient regard for the

    extensive reconstructive options avail-

    able to maintain them. Furthermore, the

    Fig 30 Case 6: final picture of the four anterior teeth, showing an acceptable color transition be-

    UXFFOUIFQPOUJDSJHIUMBUFSBMJODJTPSBOEUIFPUIFSabutment teeth.

    Fig 31 Case 6: final picture of the right side, showing an acceptable color transition between the

    QPOUJDMBUFSBMJODJTPSUIFWJUBMDBOJOFBOEUIFOPOvital discolored central incisor.

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    short- and long-term biologic, esthetic

    and technical complications of implants

    are not fully appreciated.77 Unfortu-

    nately, poor endodontic treatment is still

    a major factor in premature tooth loss.

    However, if performed correctly, results

    are at least as good as replacement with

    implants for single units.77 It is striking

    that despite this fact, today a tendency

    towards a more extraction-oriented re-

    constructive concept can be observed

    in practice. There are two main reasons

    for this.

    The first reason is that in clinical de-

    cision-making, the predictability of the

    whole procedure is of primary impor-

    tance in respect of complications and

    cost. Obviously there is some pessimism

    among clinicians regarding the progno-

    sis of endodontic treatments in general

    and this is not completely unfounded.

    The combined failure rate of endodonti-

    cally treated teeth in general practice is

    higher than described in earlier reports:

    PWFSZFBSTBDVNVMBUJWFGBJMVSFSBUFPGup to 20% is documented.78 In general,

    the outcome of endodontic treatments

    may have been overestimated in previ-

    ously published reviews because of the

    general lack of correct apical diagnosis.

    *GIJHISFTPMVUJPO$#$5JTOPUVTFEPGUFOthe endodontic status cannot correctly

    be analyzed. The authors of a current

    review state: In conclusion, the serious

    limitations of longitudinal clinical studies

    restrict the correct interpretation of root

    canal treatment outcomes. Systematic

    reviews reporting the success rates of

    root canal treatment without referring

    to these limitations may mislead read-

    ers.79 Therefore, the trend towards sim-

    plified endodontic protocols may also

    be based on incorrect interpretations of

    previous studies and may produce less

    successful results than expected or than

    achieved with the classic concepts of

    experienced endodontic specialists. A

    MPOHUFSNTUVEZPWFSZFBSTDPOEVDU-ed in a private practice by a specialist,

    documented an overall success rate of

    91.5%.80 Initial endodontic treatments

    IBEBIJHIFSTVDDFTTSBUFDPN-pared to the non-surgical retreatment

    HSPVQ 5IJT TIPXT WFSZ DMFBSMZhow important the quality of the first en-

    dodontic treatment is for the long-term

    success. In addition, the coronal resto-

    ration has a significant influence in the

    success of the endodontic treatment.

    Thus, to strive in every respect for an

    optimal restoration is as essential as an

    optimal endodontic treatment alone.81

    The second reason is that measures

    to potentially save a compromised tooth

    can later preclude the placement of

    an implant or make it very demanding.

    Therefore, if an endodontic retreatment

    due to recurrent apical pathology is

    considered, above all, careful diagnos-

    tic steps including soft and hard tissue

    probing and radiographs are required.

    Conventional radiographs do not allow

    proper analysis and interpretation of the

    root and remaining bone housing around

    the root. The possible causes for the

    endodontic failure (eg, crack, fracture,

    perforation, insufficient root filling or ac-

    DFTTPSZSPPUDBOBMTDBOOPUCFQSPQFSMZestablished without a high-resolution

    $#$5BOEDPOTFRVFOUMZUIFQSPHOPTJTand appropriate treatment approach

    can only be determined based on an

    accurate diagnosis.

    Periapical microsurgery should be

    performed exclusively if non-surgical

    endodontic retreatment is not viable,

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    and if the remaining bone housing is suf-

    ficient. The surgical approach seems to

    be more successful in the short term, but

    MFTTTPJOUIFMPOHUFSNPWFSUP6 years for the non-surgical approach,

    WFSTVTPWFSNPSFUIBOZFBSTGPSthe surgical approach.82 In addition, the

    added bone loss caused by the surgical

    access osteotomy and incomplete heal-

    ing can make the placement of an im-

    plant after a potential failure and eventful

    extraction very difficult.

    Ultimately, when we examine the treat-

    ment outcome of implant versus non-vi-

    tal tooth-supported restorations, there is

    no clear winner in terms of sustainabil-

    JUZFTUIFUJDTCJPMPHZBOEGVODUJPO#PUIsolutions require a perfect synergy of all

    the fields of specialties involved and the

    treatment steps to achieve the optimal

    result for the individual patient.

    AcknowledgementsThe author would like to thank Dr Tidu Mankoo for

    the systematic and thorough editing of the whole es-

    TBZ%S'SBOL1BRVGPSIJTTVQQPSUJOUIFEJTDVTTJPOof the endodontic aspects, and Walter Gebhard and

    Nic Pietrobon for their contribution in creating the

    dental ceramics.

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