Prevalence of cracked tooth in a group of patients at the Faculty of Dentistry, Mahidol University.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of cracked tooth and associated behavioral factors in a group of patients at the Faculty of Dentistry, Mahidol University. Materials and methods: A group of patients who attended the Advanced General Dentistry or Special clinics were invited to participate in this study. Two hundred patients (43 males and 157 females) were enrolled. Informed consent was reviewed and signed by each patient. Medical history and associated risk behaviors which can induce cracked tooth were recorded. Subsequently, all the remaining teeth of each patient were examined. Cracked tooth was defined as a tooth having either craze or cracked line(s) or both. Prevalence rates of cracked tooth according to the number of patients and the number of teeth were reported. Results: The age of the subjects ranged from 12-80 years old (mean 40.9 years). Out of 200 patients, 194 (97%) patients had at least one cracked tooth. In addition, out of 5,096 teeth investigated, 1,932 (37.9%) teeth had either craze or cracked line(s) or both. The most common cracked teeth found on both arches were first permanent molars. The most common associated risk behavior was accidental biting of hard objects. Conclusion: This study showed a high prevalence of at least one cracked tooth in a group of patients at the Faculty of Dentistry, Mahidol University. Dental professionals should be aware of this common problem and advise patients about prevention and proper treatment of cracked tooth.