Tooth fracture

Classification according to ICD-10
S02.5	Tooth fracture
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

Teeth 11 and 21 : fractures of the tooth crowns. Tooth 22 : fracture at the level of the tooth neck. Additional findings: tooth 23 is apparently missing. Bite injury and edema in the lower lip.

A tooth fracture ( lat. Fractura "break") is a break, a split, a splintering or even just a crack (infracture) of a tooth , which is caused by traumatic impact, which is caused by a shock or impact (mostly in the anterior tooth area - see also Anterior tooth trauma ), a bite on a hard foreign body in food, a so-called shotgun fracture (for example, a bite on a shotgun in venison, on a cherry stone or an unground grain in whole grain products ), an accident or during a tooth extraction ( extraction ).

Tooth fractures can also occur in milk teeth .

Systematics and therapy

A distinction is made depending on the location of the break:

Fracture in the area of the tooth crown

divided into:

Fracture exclusively in tooth enamel; Therapy : filling or crown
Fracture in the tooth enamel and dentin without involvement of the pulp (tooth nerve); Therapy: indirect capping ; then filling or crown
Fracture in tooth enamel and dentin with involvement of the pulp; Therapy: direct pulp capping or pulpotomy (removal of the vital pulp in the tooth crown) or vital extirpation (removal of the vital pulp to the root tip); then filling or crown

Fracture at the level of the tooth neck ; Therapy: root canal treatment ; then post build-up or post crown

Tooth root fracture

divided into:

Fracture in the upper third of the root; Therapy: root canal treatment ; then post build-up or post crown
Fracture in the middle third of the root; Therapy: extraction
Fracture in the lower third of the root; Therapy: apicectomy
Longitudinal fracture; Therapy: extraction

Illustrations

Transverse fracture in the middle third of the root of a lateral upper incisor; Secondary finding: deep caries on the fractured tooth
Transverse fracture in the middle third of the root; Secondary finding: approximal caries
Fracture of a removed tooth in the area of the tooth neck that was previously restored with a post crown. The tooth had previously been resected ( root tip resection ).
Removed buccal tooth fragment of a molar (tooth 16) after a longitudinal fracture

Longitudinal fracture (crack) in the crown area of a central upper incisor; Secondary finding: displaced and retained permanent canine
Longitudinal fracture in the crown area of a central upper deciduous incisor. The permanent teeth can already be seen.
Transverse fracture in the middle third of the root of a deciduous incisor. The permanent teeth can already be seen.