Fracture strength and failure load of CAD/CAM fabricated endocrowns performed with different designs

Aim: Endocrown restorations are commonly used to rehabilitate endodontically treated posterior teeth and their use is wellfounded in these cases. However, to date, there is little scientific evidence of their behavior in anterior teeth. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the compressive strength of upper central incisors teeth, restored with glass-ceramic total crowns by the conventional anatomical core technique, and compare them to teeth restored with endocrowns with and without the presence of ferrule. Methods: Thirty teeth were randomly distributed into three groups: GE2 - endocrown group with 2 mm ferrule, GE0 - endocrown group without a ferrule, and GC - conventional crown with intraradicular post group. Crowns were cemented and teeth submitted to the 45o compression test until the fracture happened. Fractured specimens were analyzed to determine the fracture pattern. Descriptive analysis of the variables was performed and one-way analysis of variance was utilized to analyze the data for significant differences at p < 0.05. Results: The results of the control group (284.5 ± 201.05N) showed the highest fracture resistance value, followed by the 2mm group (274.54 ± 199.43N) and by the 0mm group (263.81 ± 80.05N). There was no statistically significant difference between all the groups (p = 0.964). Conclusions: The absence of a cervical enamel necklace favored a debonding of the pieces and endodontically treated anterior teeth could be restored with endocrown, which could be considered a conservative and viable treatment option.