The treatment of endodontically treated teeth.

Recently published studies on the treatment of endodontically treated teeth have confirmed and expanded on the restorative directions outlined in earlier work. The significance of endodontic treatment in reducing tooth strength has been questioned, and the potential influence of previous operative cavity designs highlighted. Other work has supported the contention that following the placement of a well-fitting crown, the strength of the post foundation, the core foundation, or both is relatively unimportant in determining the overall strength of endodontically treated teeth. In particular, it appears unnecessary to incorporate a ferrule effect as part of a post-and-core foundation. It seems that the height of the remaining tooth structure between the core and the crown margin is a much more significant factor in determining the fracture resistance of these teeth. Many articles have demonstrated the potential influence of material interactions at all stages of the restorative process. Further work in this area is likely to greatly complicate clinical decision making when restoring endodontically treated teeth.