Quartz and glass fibres were introduced to improve the appearance of posts under all-ceramic or composite restorations. Fiber posts are also described as easy to manipulate and removable.
Glass-fiber posts are used when restoring teeth that have received endodontic treatment. Research comparing them with metal posts concerns restoration of those treated teeth.
In ten studies of 844 endodontically treated teeth, fiber and metal posts had similar failure results. The review found no significant difference for front or back teeth, root fracture, or debonding.
A tooth-coloured post can be easier to conceal beneath a ceramic or composite restoration, particularly in a front tooth where an earlier post could show through the finished restoration.
Glass fibres deform more than carbon fibres because they have a lower modulus of elasticity. The metal-post comparison found similar failures, but judged the certainty of that evidence as low.
