Healing and prognosis of teeth with intra-alveolar fractures involving the cervical part of the root.

Abstract

Healing and long-term prognosis of 94 cervical root fractures were evaluated. The teeth were divided into two groups according to type of fracture: transverse fractures limited to the cervical third of the root (51 incisors) and oblique fractures involving both the cervical and middle parts of the root (43 incisors). Neither the frequency nor the type of fracture healing differed significantly between the two groups. In the material as a whole, healing of the fracture with hard tissue formation was observed in 17 teeth (18%), and healing with interposition of periodontal ligament (PDL) and, in some cases, hard tissue between the fragments in 62 teeth (66%). Fifteen teeth (16%) showed no healing and a radiolucency adjacent to the fracture. Statistical analyses revealed that incomplete root formation and a positive sensibility test at the time of injury were significantly related to both healing and hard tissue repair. The same applied to concussion or subluxation compared with dislocation of coronal fragment, as well as optimal compared with suboptimal reposition of displaced coronal fragments. The type and duration of splinting (or no splinting) appeared to be of no significance for frequency or type of healing of cervical root fractures. During the observation time (mean = 75 months), 19 (44%) of the teeth with transverse fractures and 3 (8%) of those with oblique fractures were lost after healing. In conclusion, fractures in the cervical part of the root had a healing potential and the predictive parameters identified for fractures in other parts of the root seemed to be valid for the healing of cervical root fractures. Transverse fractures appeared to have a significantly poorer long-term prognosis compared to oblique fractures, apparently due to a marked post-treatment mobility, which often led to new luxation caused by even minor impacts.