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Cracking up? Getting to grips with cracked tooth syndrome

7 mins read Dental nursing extra
Cracked tooth syndrome (CTS) is a dental condition in which a partial crack extends into the dentin. CTS can be difficult to diagnose and complex to treat effectively. This article reviews the clinical features, diagnostic tools and management options for symptomatic, incompletely fractured posterio

Cracked teeth are commonly seen in the dental surgery. The severity of the crack can vary from tiny enamel chips to major fractures that result in tooth loss. While the majority of fractures can be described as ‘complete’, when a cusp becomes completely detached from a tooth, the minority occur as ‘incomplete’ fractures, whereby the fractured portion remains attached to the rest of the tooth by a bridge of intact tissue. In the presence of these incomplete fractures patients can experience the painful symptoms known as cracked tooth syndrome (CTS) (see Figure 1).

Figure 1.A cracked tooth with a large cavity and decay

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