Periodontal considerations relevant to treating the fractured tooth

Facts About Cracks in Teeth

Examining the nature of stress distribution within the intact tooth can aid in understanding how natural tooth structures are able to resist mechanical forces during masticatory function. Identification of potential fractures in teeth on clinical examination is essential for correct diagnosis, particularly if there is pulpal involvement. This discussion will consider the different types of fracture, their identification and management. This paper will highlight management of tooth fractures, including identifying prognostic indicators, which are largely dependent on the extent of the fracture within the tooth structure.

Cracked tooth diagnosis and treatment: An alternative paradigm

This article reviews the diagnosis and treatment of cracked teeth, and explores common clinical examples of cracked teeth, such as cusp fractures, fractures into tooth furcations, and root fractures. This article provides alternative definitions of terms such as cracked teeth, complete and incomplete fractures and crack lines, and explores the scientific rationale for dental terminology commonly used to describe cracked teeth, such as cracked tooth syndrome, structural versus nonstructural cracks, and vertical, horizontal, and oblique fractures. The article explains the advantages of high magnification loupes (×6-8 or greater), or the surgical operating microscope, combined with co-axial or head-mounted illumination, when observing teeth for microscopic crack lines or enamel craze lines. The article explores what biomechanical factors help to facilitate the development of cracks in teeth, and under what circumstances a full coverage crown may be indicated for preventing further propagation of a fracture plane. Articles on cracked tooth phenomena were located via a PubMed search using a variety of keywords, and via selective hand-searching of citations contained within located articles.

Incomplete tooth fracture – proposal for a new definition

Many terms have been used to describe incomplete tooth fractures. This paper reviews them, discusses the clinical features of incomplete tooth fractures and proposes a clinically representative definition.