Biomechanical Analysis of One-Piece Post-and-Core: High-Performance Polymers vs Conventional Materials.

The article focuses on a finite element analysis evaluating stress distribution in mandibular premolars restored with one-piece post-and-core systems made from eight different materials—polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), glass fiber-reinforced PEEK (GFR-PEEK), carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK (CFR-PEEK), gold-palladium alloy (Au-Pd), titanium (Ti), zirconia (Zi), and chromium-nickel (Cr-Ni)—and two post designs (cylindrical and conical). Results showed that materials with higher elastic modulus (e.g., Cr-Ni) exhibited greater stress concentration within the post structure, while materials with lower elastic modulus (e.g., PEEK) transferred slightly higher stresses to the root dentin. Cylindrical post designs generally produced lower stress values in the post-luting agent and root dentin compared to conical designs. The study concludes that both post material and design significantly influence stress distribution, with high-performance polymers (HPPs) like PEEK offering lower post stress but slightly increased root dentin stress relative to conventional metal and ceramic materials.