The primary function of an endodontic post is to provide retention for the core and enable full sealing of the coronal portion of the root canal. Traditionally used metal posts do not meet the requirements of modern dental medicine due to some fairly significant drawbacks such as color, corrosion potential, non-adhesive bonding and high modulus of elasticity which can lead to root fracture. Recently, esthetic ceramic and fiber reinforced posts have been manufactured in order to avoid such imperfections. Since much attention has been devoted to the esthetic aspects of dental medicine, the use of these posts with composite/ceramic cores is very common in restorative dentistry and it is actually becoming a standard. This is due to the fact that, apart from being an esthetically pleasing material, they are also biocompatible, have good physical properties and the capacity of adhesive bonding to tooth tissue and core buildup. Nonetheless, a good clinician should know how to spot the difference between them in order to select and use the appropriate post system in each specific situation.
Keywords: glass fibers; polyethylene; post and core technique; zirconium oxide.