Background/objectives: This study compared the accuracy and efficiency of different surgical-guide (SG)-assisted and freehand drilling techniques for removing fiber posts from maxillary anterior teeth performed by differently experienced operators.
Methods: A fiber post was bonded to the root canal of 54 extracted maxillary anterior teeth. After mounting the teeth in the jaw models, SGs were designed by integrating cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and intraoral scanner data. Each SG included a custom sleeve. An experienced or inexperienced operator drilled the post using three different techniques: (i) SG-assisted incremental drilling at 2-3 mm (SG1), (ii) SG-assisted one-time drilling to a predetermined depth (SG2), and (iii) freehand incremental drilling without SG (FH; n = 9 in each group). Deviations in coronal, sagittal, and horizontal planes and the angle of deviation were measured.
Results: The SG1 and SG2 groups showed significantly smaller sagittal and horizontal deviations than the FH group, regardless of the operator's experience. The SG2 group had a significantly shorter working time than the SG1 and FH groups. In the FH group, the experienced operator required a significantly shorter working time than the inexperienced operator.
Conclusions: SG-assisted drilling techniques enhanced the accuracy and efficiency of removing fiber posts from the anterior teeth, irrespective of the operator's experience.
Keywords: anterior teeth; fiber post; guided endodontics; intra-radicular reinforcement; operator experience; post removal; surgical guide.