Characteristics, Treatment, and Prognosis of Cracked Teeth: A Comparison with Data from 10 Years Ago

The purpose of this study was to analyze and to compare retrospectively the characteristics, the treatment process, and the prognosis of cracked teeth by comparing recent data with data from 10 years ago.

Sixty-eight cracked teeth from March 2009 to June 2010 (2009 data) and 185 cracked teeth from March 2019 to June 2020 (2019 data) were analyzed. The characteristics of cracked teeth and the treatment method depending on probing depth, caries, and symptoms, and prognosis depending on pocket depth and apical lesions were analyzed using R version 3.3.3 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria) and T&F version 3.0 (YooJin BioSoft, Korea). To compare proportions, the two-sample proportion test was performed. The distribution of proportions within the samples from 2009 and 2019 data was analyzed using the Chi-square test or binomial test. A p-value <0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.

Significantly fewer cracked teeth received root canal treatment before crown in 2019 than in 2009 (p = 0.032). In both 2009 and 2019, symptomatic cracked teeth and those with deep periodontal pockets (>6 mm) were significantly more likely to receive root canal treatment. In both years, cracked teeth with a probing depth less than 6 mm or without an apical lesion were significantly more likely to be asymptomatic at 3-month and 6-month follow-ups (p < 0.001).

Cracked teeth with a deep periodontal pocket or symptoms had a higher likelihood of endodontic treatment, and the presence of a deep periodontal pocket or apical lesion was associated with a higher risk of persistent symptoms. Therefore, clinicians should consider these factors when planning treatment and predicting patients' prognosis.