title: Influence of dentinal adhesives and a prefabricated post on fracture resistance of silver amalgam cores.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Failures of silver amalgam cores for endodontically treated teeth have been attributed to the use of posts. The use of adhesive agents has been reported to improve the strength of silver amalgam restorations. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of two adhesive agents on the fracture resistance of silver amalgam cores with and without a post.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty mandibular molars were restored with the use of silver amalgam, with or without one of the adhesive agents and/or a tapered prefabricated post. A universal testing machine, with a constant load rate of 0.5 mm/minute, was used to determine the force in kilograms at failure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The use of either adhesive agent with silver amalgam significantly increased the force at failure, and neither adhesive agent was significantly better than the other. Silver amalgam with a post and without an adhesive agent had the least resistance to fracture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicated that endodontically treated mandibular molars restored with silver amalgam are more resistant to fracture when an adhesive agent is used.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans, USA.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Donald
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Jeansonne
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Gardiner
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Sarkar
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019245:Compressive Strength; D003723:Dental Amalgam; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000379:methods*; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis; D017220:Dentin-Bonding Agents; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D008689:Methacrylates; D008963:Molar; D011176:Post and Core Technique; D019553:Tooth, Nonvital
chemical_list: C070606:Amalgambond; D017220:Dentin-Bonding Agents; D008689:Methacrylates; C100742:All-Bond 2; D003723:Dental Amalgam