Endodontic management of molar cuspal fracture: case series

Cracked tooth syndrome is a very common and well documented condition. Many morphologic, physical and iatrogenic factors predispose posterior teeth to an incomplete fracture. A cracked tooth is a tooth in which there exists a partial or incomplete fracture of a stress plane that commonly occurs in that tooth. A tooth stress plane results from occlusal forces that are commonly imposed on that tooth that may cause, during a masticatory cycle, an incidence of higher energy to occur within the stress plane lead to incomplete fracture. Epidemiologic data revealed that splits or complete or incomplete fractures are the third most common cause of tooth loss, indicating the high clinical significance of this syndrome. Diagnosis of such tooth is a difficult task because the patient often presents with various symptoms. These case reports describes the treatment of patients presenting with variable complaints of pain associated with biting and sensitivity of teeth. The prognosis of those teeth depends on the location and extent of the crack. Early recognition and treatment is the key for proper management of cracked tooth and preservation of tooth for function.