An evaluation of endodontically treated vertically fractured teeth

Abstract

For this survey, 92 vertically fractured endodontically treated teeth were evaluated clinically and radiographically before and after extraction. The maxillary second premolars (27.2%) and mesial roots of the mandibular molars (24%) were the most fractured teeth. In 67.4% of the teeth, a solitary buccal pocket was present; in 34.8%, a fistula frequently appeared closer to the gingival margin than to the apical area. A lateral radiolucency or a combination of lateral and periapical radiolucency was found in more than half of the cases. The general practitioners correctly diagnosed vertical root fracture in only one-third of the 92 fractured teeth in this survey.