Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Clinical studies show that after root canal therapy, crown prosthesis can effectively prevent the teeth from jackknifing.
OBJECTIVE: To verify whether crown restoration can increase long-term survival rate of teeth treated by root canal therapy using different materials through a systematic review.
METHODS: Papers referring to single crowns on endodontically treated teeth were located by a MEDLINE search and hand searching. In accordance with inclusive and exclusive criteria, 12 papers were selected in a two-step procedure and were subjected to quality assessment. The “failure” was given uniform definition, as the investigation results. After a homogeneity test, the mean overall success rates of crown restoration following root canal therapy were calculated by pooling the data from the studies.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: On a 0-1 scale, the weighed overall mean quality score of the studies was 0. 607. The quality score was used as weight for pooling the samples studies. These data showed a 10-year survival rate of 80% for five studies of crown restoration after root canal therapy and a 10-year survival rate of 65% for eight studies of direct biomaterials filling (resin composites, amalgam) after root canal therapy. Root canal therapy restored with crowns shows an acceptable long-term survival of 10 years, while direct biomaterials restorations have a satisfactory survival only for a short period.