Relationship between Time from Full Pulpotomy to Definitive Diagnosis of Vertical Root Fracture and Patient Age

The goal of this study was to investigate length of time between full pulpotomy and a definitive diagnosis of vertical root fracture (VRF), as well as the age at which this was made. The participants comprised 63 dental patients (40 men and 23 women) with a mean age of 65.7±10.4 years in whom a definitive diagnosis of VRF had been made between July 2013 and June 2015, and who had also undergone a full pulpotomy. The data on all these cases were obtained from 22 dental clinics belonging to a clinical study group. The mean duration between a full pulpotomy and a definitive diagnosis of VRF was 141.0±88.9 months. The results showed no differences in terms of sex, mandible/maxilla, or tooth type. No relationship was observed between age at which the diagnosis was made and length of time between full pulpotomy and diagnosis (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.162) (p>0.05). Most diagnoses of VRF were made in patients aged over 50 years, irrespective of length of time between full pulpotomy and the diagnosis. These results suggest that age is a stronger indicator of VRF than length of time between full pulpotomy and a definitive diagnosis.