Horizontal Root Fracture: Diagnosis, Prevention and Management-A Review

About author
Mithra N Hegde*, Ravi Dahiya, Shishir shetty
Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics
A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Nitte University, Mangalore

Abstract
Traumatic injuries constitute a true dental emergency and the patients experiencing trauma, are not only physically, but also psychologically affected. Tooth fractures are commonly encountered dental emergencies with root fracture being one of the unusual sequelae. It is well recognized that preventive measures such as tooth and face protection can significantly reduce the severity of injuries with more emphasis placed on educating youngsters and teenagers on how to avoid traumatic injuries to their teeth. Horizontal root fractures are the fractures involving dentin, cementum and pulp as a result of trauma to teeth and periodontium which occurs mainly due to falls or sports activities. Horizontal root fracture cases are clinically challenging and need to be properly diagnosed with prompt treatment planning and evidence based multidisciplinary approach for management. This review article elaborates the diagnosis, prevention, treatment planning and subsequent healing patterns along with the factors influencing the prognosis of the affected tooth.
Key words: trauma, root fracture, emergency, injury.