ParaPost: Saving Teeth for 60 Years...and Counting

One dentist shares why he’s used Coltene’s ParaPost System for over 3 decades to perform successful post and core buildups—saving countless teeth from extractions

Dr. James Braun has relied on the ParaPost universal endodontic post system his entire career. For nearly 30 years, it’s been his go-to system for direct post and core
buildups, so he’s had the opportunity to see it evolve, improve, and become increasingly better over time.

The design has changed a bit, he said, with new components like cement and core material added to the system. Different shapes, as well as titanium and fiber post options are now available, further enhancing the lineup and giving clinicians plenty of options from which to choose.

Dr. Braun, a prosthodontist in Saginaw, MI, takes on hundreds of cases a year that can benefit from post and core buildup, he said, as he prefers performing endo to save a tooth over extracting and placing an implant whenever possible.

“To me, it’s a necessary component to rendering the best possible clinical treatment,” he said. “I’ve tried a lot of other post systems, and no other manufacturer offers all the options and components necessary for these cases. And it’s just a much better way of restoring teeth.”

What Makes ParaPost Unique?

Adding the fiber post to the system several years ago was a significant improvement, Dr. Braun said, as the flexural strength of fiber is similar to tooth structure, making it less prone to fracture.

Coltene also has added different shapes and lengths for the titanium posts, allowing clinicians to maximize cement adaptation. Dr. Braun prefers using titanium posts as the modulus is the closest to natural tooth structure.

“It’s easy to modify and shorten the post, and easy to bond to in the various size diameters, of which there are 5 or 6,” he said. “Natural teeth have all sorts of variances in width and length of the root canal, so whether you’re working with one canal or multiple canals, it’s nice to have the option to select the proper diameter and know you’re not endangering the tooth. You’re able to protect the tooth and remove as little internal tooth structure as possible to place the post.” The system is also color coded, making it easy to identify which drill goes with which post.

“I don’t think any other system has as many options as ParaPost does, and to me, that’s extremely important,” Dr. Braun said. “You get the kit and can make a clinical decision based on root canal therapy. It’s a top to bottom operation. Everything is bonded together very esthetically, and you end up with a much better soft-tissue outcome than you do with an implant.”

A Complete System for Post and Core Buildups

It’s critical for more dentists to learn how to perform post and core buildups, Dr. Braun said, and a system like ParaPost, which provides everything doctors need to complete the procedure, makes that possible.

“When a tooth comes in fractured off, the tendency is to remove the root and put in an implant, when the better options is to keep the root and build off of that,” Dr. Braun said. “It’s something that really should be emphasized more than it is now.”

When used in tandem with ParaCore—a 3-in-1 material for post cementation, core buildup, and crown-and-bridge cementation—the ParaPost System includes all the components necessary to complete a successful post and core buildup. “Everything bonds together. You get a lifelike tooth-colored buildup and then you place an all-ceramic crown,” Dr. Braun said. ”It looks gorgeous and there’s nothing to block out because you get such natural esthetics.” Patients get better results with the soft tissue, he said, and have more functional loading and perception after a post and core buildup than with an implant.

“I can’t emphasize more the value of this type of treatment and what it can do for the patient,” he said. “In my opinion, the patient is much better off maintaining that root structure and building off it vs any other treatment modality.”

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