Root healing after horizontal fracture: a case report with a 13-year follow up

Although horizontal root fractures connote a serious trauma to the tooth, they present a favorable prognosis, as the vitality of the pulp remains. Small displacements of the fragments minimize the failure of the healing process; however, even when they occur, the reduction of the diastasis between root fragments is always necessary. A majority of cases are asymptomatic and heal spontaneously even though no therapeutic measures have been adopted. A case of root fracture that was discovered only 1 year after the trauma is presented. Thirteen years later, the tooth is well positioned in the maxillary arch and has kept its pulp vitality despite the obliteration of the root conduct. Expectant management was adopted at the moment of the first examination, and the follow-up of the patient showed it to have been the best choice.