TY - JOUR
T1 - Correlation between symptoms and external characteristics of cracked teeth
T2 - Findings from The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network
AU - The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network Collaborative Group
AU - Hilton, Thomas J.
AU - Funkhouser, Ellen
AU - Ferracane, Jack L.
AU - Gilbert, Gregg H.
AU - Baltuck, Camille
AU - Benjamin, Paul
AU - Louis, David
AU - Mungia, Rahma
AU - Meyerowitz, Cyril
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 American Dental Association
PY - 2017/4/1
Y1 - 2017/4/1
N2 - Background Cracked teeth are ubiquitous in the adult dentition. The objective of this study was to determine which patient traits and behaviors and external tooth and crack characteristics correlate with cracked teeth being symptomatic. Methods Dentists in The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network enrolled a convenience sample of patients each with a single, vital posterior tooth with at least 1 observable external crack in this observational study; they enrolled 2,975 cracked teeth from 209 practitioners. The authors collected data at the patient level, tooth level, and crack level. They used generalized estimating equations to obtain significant (P <.05) independent odds ratios (OR) associated with teeth that were symptomatic for a crack. Results Characteristics positively associated with cracked tooth symptoms, after adjusting for demographics, included patients who clenched, ground, or pressed their teeth together (OR, 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-1.50), molars (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.30-1.92), teeth with a wear facet through enamel (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.01-1.40), carious lesions (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.07-1.60), cracks that were on the distal surface of the tooth (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.13-1.52), and cracks that blocked transilluminated light (OR, 1.31, 95% CI, 1.09-1.57). Teeth with stained cracks were negatively associated with having cracked tooth symptoms (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.55-0.84). Conclusions The greatest likelihood of a cracked tooth being symptomatic was found when patients reported clenching or grinding their teeth and had a molar with a distal crack that blocked transilluminated light. Practical Implications This information can help inform dentists in the decision-making process regarding the prognosis for a cracked tooth.
AB - Background Cracked teeth are ubiquitous in the adult dentition. The objective of this study was to determine which patient traits and behaviors and external tooth and crack characteristics correlate with cracked teeth being symptomatic. Methods Dentists in The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network enrolled a convenience sample of patients each with a single, vital posterior tooth with at least 1 observable external crack in this observational study; they enrolled 2,975 cracked teeth from 209 practitioners. The authors collected data at the patient level, tooth level, and crack level. They used generalized estimating equations to obtain significant (P <.05) independent odds ratios (OR) associated with teeth that were symptomatic for a crack. Results Characteristics positively associated with cracked tooth symptoms, after adjusting for demographics, included patients who clenched, ground, or pressed their teeth together (OR, 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-1.50), molars (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.30-1.92), teeth with a wear facet through enamel (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.01-1.40), carious lesions (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.07-1.60), cracks that were on the distal surface of the tooth (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.13-1.52), and cracks that blocked transilluminated light (OR, 1.31, 95% CI, 1.09-1.57). Teeth with stained cracks were negatively associated with having cracked tooth symptoms (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.55-0.84). Conclusions The greatest likelihood of a cracked tooth being symptomatic was found when patients reported clenching or grinding their teeth and had a molar with a distal crack that blocked transilluminated light. Practical Implications This information can help inform dentists in the decision-making process regarding the prognosis for a cracked tooth.
KW - Cracked teeth
KW - clinical trials
KW - practice-based research
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U2 - 10.1016/j.adaj.2016.12.023
DO - 10.1016/j.adaj.2016.12.023
M3 - Article
C2 - 28160942
AN - SCOPUS:85011295995
SN - 0002-8177
VL - 148
SP - 246-256.e1
JO - Journal of the American Dental Association
JF - Journal of the American Dental Association
IS - 4
ER -