Survival of root filled cracked teeth in a tertiary institution

AIM: To assess the survival rate of root filled cracked teeth over a 2-year period in a tertiary institute. METHODOLOGY: Forty-nine patients who had root canal treatment completed on their cracked teeth at the National Dental Centre (Singapore) were recalled for a 2-year review. Collected review data included presence of periodontal pocketing, sinus tract and swelling associated with the teeth. The date of extraction was noted if a tooth was missing at review. Pre-treatment data collected were number, extent and location of crack, presence of periodontal pocketing, patients' age and gender, location of cracked teeth, type of teeth and presence of terminal cracked tooth. RESULTS: Fifty teeth in 49 patients were included. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of 2-year survival rate was 85.5% (95% confidence interval: 75.5-95.5). Cracked teeth which were the terminal teeth in the dental arch (RR = 4.9, 95% CI: 1.2-2.0, P = 0.04), teeth with pre-root filling periodontal pocketing (RR = 4.9, 95% CI: 1.2-2.0, P = 0.04) and teeth with multiple cracks (RR = infinity, 95% CI: 1.9-infinity, P = 0.01) were more likely to be extracted. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, multiple cracks, terminal teeth and pre-root filling pocketing were significant prognostic factors for the survival of root filled cracked teeth.