The Prevalence of Failures, Mishaps, and Iatrogenic Errors for Restored Endodontically Treated Teeth

Introduction: Restoration of endodontically treated teeth with post and core adds retentive features to the coronal restoration. The survival of these teeth depends on many factors, including the remaining tooth structure, the quality of root canal treatment, post space preparation and placement, and the timing of extra-coronal restoration. Aim: This study assessed the prevalence of failures, mishaps, and iatrogenic errors during post space preparation, post placement, or after final coronal restoration. Materials and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in several private dental clinics in Benghazi, Libya. A total of 300 root canal treated teeth restored with posts and cores were examined clinically and radiographically to evaluate the quality of these restored teeth. Results: Only 23.7% showed post-cores with ideal criteria. Most of the inserted posts were less than 2/3 of the root length and had a diameter equal to one-third of the root width. Only 33% of the teeth had between 3-5mm of gutta percha (GP) as an apical seal. Regarding the failure types, the most common type was due to endodontic reasons (33%), whereas the least one was root fracture only (1%). Conclusion: The study showed a high prevalence of post-core failures and mishaps. Education and training for dental professionals on proper post selection and placement techniques are needed to improve prosthetic and endodontic practices.