Background: The goal of endodontic treatment is to maintain the tooth as a functional unit within the dental arch. The present study was conducted to compare the fracture resistance of endodontically treated molars with cuspal coverage restorations using different resin composite materials. Materials & Methods: The present study was conducted on 60 mandibular molars. Mesio-occluso-distal (MOD) cavities were prepared with the initial occlusal depth of 1.5 mm crossing the oblique ridge to include the mesial and distal fosssa. Access was obtained in all teeth with K file.  The working length was determined by subtracting 1 mm from this length. Cleaning and shaping of the canals was completed in crown-down manner with till #30 file and 3% sodium hypochlorite irrigation was used in the procedure. Vertical fracture resistance was tested using universal testing machine. Results: Group I (20) were sound teeth without any restoration, group II (20) were those restored with reinforced composite and group III (20) were those who received indirect composite. The difference was statistical non- significant (P-1). In group I fracture resistance observed was 1420.8 N, in group II 1240.2 N and in group III 1152.4 N. The difference was non- significant (P> 0.05). Conclusion: The superior properties of composite have made it popular among different restorative materials. Both re-inforced composite and indirect composite exhibited similar fracture resistance.
Key words: Composite, fracture, indirect composite