Prevalence of Cracked Tooth in a Group of Thai Patients

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of cracked tooth and associated behavioral factors in a group of patients at the Faculty of Dentistry, Mahidol University. Methods: A group of patients attended the Advance General Dentistry Clinics and Special Clinics were interviewed. The subjects included 200 patients, 43 males and 157 females. The age of the subjects ranged from 12-80 years old (mean 40.92 years). Informed consent was reviewed and signed by each patient. Medical history, associated risk behaviors were recorded. Subsequently, all remaining teeth of each patient were examined. The prevalence rates of cracked tooth according to the number of patients and teeth were reported. Results: The result indicated that the prevalence rate of patients with cracked tooth was 97%. The prevalence rate of cracked teeth was 37.91%. The most common cracked teeth found on upper and lower arches were first permanent molars. The most common associated risk behavior was an accidental biting on hard objects. Conclusion: This study suggested that this group of patients presented with high prevalence of cracked tooth. Therefore dental professionals should realized the importance of cracked tooth and provide knowledge for a proper treatment for patients with cracked tooth.