PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY/Copyright © 1986 by The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Volume 8 Number 4 CASE Restoration of fractured immaturemaxillary central incisors using the crown fragments E. Amir, DMD B. Bar-Gil, DMD H. Sarnat, DMD, MS Abstract Pulpotomy is defined as the surgical removal of Twoimmature maxillary central incisors with complicated the coronal portion of the pulp. The normal pulp fractures of the crownswere treated using the calciumhydroxide tissue in the root canal then is treated with a medi- pulpotomytechnique. Restorationof the crownswas accomplished cament at the amputation site. 7 Calcium hydroxide is by replacingthe crownfragments using the acid etch technique. the dressing recommended for the immature per- Follow-upat 36 monthsshowed vital and functional pulp man- manent tooth because of its ability to induce forma- ifested by dentinal bridge formationat the amputationsite and completionof root formation. tion of a calcified bridge at the site of the amputation and leave a healthy pulp tissue. 6-8 Hallett~ and Porteous who assessed the vital pulpotomy technique found a success rate of 72%, while Fuks et al. 1° found a 92% Complicated crown fractures involve the success rate. enamel, dentin and pulp. 1 Pulp exposure generally Restoration procedures of anterior fractured teeth is followed by symptomssuch as pain, sensitivity to are based mostly on the acid-etch techniques, using thermal changes and mastication, and if not treated, filled11,~ and unfilled resins activated by ultraviolet, leads to pulpal necrosis and periapical changes. visible light, ~3 or chemical catalyst activation24 The Physical trauma is aggravated by the esthetic disfig- missing portion of the tooth can be reconstructed by uration which is a major concern of both children one of the existing resins whose properties are su- and1 their parents. perior to the silicates and acrylics used in the past. Fractures of anterior teeth are quite common;5- According to Sheykholeslam et al., ~5 the retention of 13% of all injuries to permanent anterior teeth are such a restoration was 93%. From the esthetic point complicated fractures. 2 It is therefore of interest to of view, marginal staining, discoloration, or lack of have simple yet reliable techniques of managing marginal integrity were the major problems. In order fractures of young permanent teeth. to overcome the above disadvantages, a number of Treatment of the complicated crown fracture clinicians attempted to use the tooth fragment to re- presents itself in 2 stages: (1) treatment of the injured store~6-’8 the fractured crown. pulp, and (2) performance of an esthetic restoration of the fractured tooth. Case Report A 9-year-old boy presented to the emergency Literature Review dental clinic of Tel Aviv University Dental School. Treatment of complicated crown fractures im- One hour earlier, the patient was hit by a schoolmate plies either direct pulp capping, partial pulpotomy, and his two maxillary central incisors suffered com- pulpotomy, or partial pulpectomy.1,3-s In teeth with plicated crown fractures. The child brought the 2 open apices, the main objective of the treatment is to broken crown fragments with him. Clinical exami- preserve the vitality of the pulp in order to allow nation revealed widely exposed pulp chambers on continued development of the root and closure of both incisors (Fig 1). No mobility of the injured teeth the apex. Immature teeth with open apices and good was recorded. Radiographic examination revealed 2 blood supply to the pulp will have a good chance of young central incisors with open apices (Fig 2). The healing4,6 when treated by the pulpotomy method. pulpotomy technique was carried out under local an- PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY: December 1986/Vol. 8 No. 4 285 FIG 1. Clinical appearance of 2 upper maxillary central FIG 3. The restored incisors. incisors with complicated crown fracture. to all treated surfaces and the parts were approx- esthesia and rubber dam. Amputation was performed imated by hand to the original position. with a diamond bur in a high-speed handpiece, with 5. After polishing, an esthetic result was achieved abundant water stream. The wound was rinsed with (Fig 3). saline and when bleeding ceased, a calcium hydrox- 6. The teeth were followed clinically and radio- 3 ide preparation was applied. The crown fragments graphically at 1, 3, 9, 18, and 36 months. There were prepared in the following manner: were no clinical symptoms such as pain or discom- 1. Remnants of the pulp were removed from the bro- fort; normal response to cold was recorded, and ken incisal parts and a small retentive preparation radiographic evidence of coronal dentinal bridge was made in the pulp cavity. and apical closure with normal periapical struc- 2. All margins of the teeth and the crown fragments ture was observed (Fig 4). were beveled to 45°. After 36 months, a yellowish line appeared at 3. Enamel surfaces were acid-etched using a 37% or- the junction between the parts, but the general es- 11 tho-phosphoric acid solution for 60 seconds, thetic outcome was good (Fig 5). rinsed, and dried thoroughly. Six months later, the boy received another blow 0 4. Bonding and self-curing composite were applied and tooth 11 sustained a fracture of the replaced part which was lost. The tooth showed normal vitality and the fracture area was restored by resin. ' Calxyl—Dental Preparation, Otto & Co., Frankfurt, Main W. Ger- many. Discussion b Concise—Type II Composite Resin, Dental Products 3M, St. Paul, MN 55144, USA. There are only a few case reports in the litera- e Concise—Type II Composite Resin, Dental Products 3M, St. Paul, ture which describe the use of the crown fragments MN 55144, USA. FIG 4. Radiograph- FIG 2. Radiograph- ic follow up after 36 ic view of the frac- months. Note the tured teeth; note the dentinal bridge and open apices. the closure of the apices. 286 RESTORATION OF FRACTURED IMMATURE MAXILLARY INCISORS: Amir et al. with the appearance of any clinical signs such as discomfort, loss of vitality, radiographic signs of re- sorption, or periapical lesion a full root canal treat- ment could be performed immediately. In selected cases, such as presented here, the res- toration of the crown can be performed with the frac- tured fragments of the tooth. The tooth fragment provides a more esthetic and durable restoration than could be obtained by using composite resins. The incisal edge of the enamel is more resistant to abra- sion than a resin restoration, and staining does not occur except at the junction of the 2 portions. Summary FIG 5. Clinical appearance of the treated and restored teeth Two maxillary central incisors with complicated after 36 months. crown fractures in a 9-year-old boy were treated and restored. The teeth had open apices, pulpotomies were performed, and a calcium hydroxide prepara- to restore a fractured tooth. In the cases cited, root tion was applied to the pulp stumps. After 14 months, canal treatment was performed. In the present pa- the apices were closed and the periapical region was tient the pulp canal tissue was preserved. Preserving intact. The crown fragments were used to restore the vital pulp tissue offered a number of advantages cru- fractured crowns using the acid-etch resin technique. cial for teeth that have uncompleted roots. The esthetic appearance achieved by this method was 1. It allowed continued growth of the root and clo- very good. The coronal part of the teeth maintained sure of the apex. their translucency which does not happen when the 2. It allowed continued apposition of secondary den- teeth are restored with composite material. This tin on the root canal walls to achieve the final wall method of restoration is recommended for those in- width. stances in which the crown fragments are present 3. Teeth with vital dentin are considered less brittle and are large enough for manipulation. Continued than pulpless teeth. monitoring of the patient is essential. 4. The color and translucency of the teeth were kept closer to normal. Dr. Amir is a clinical lecturer, pediatric dentistry; Dr. Bar-Gil is in the department of oral pathology and oral medicine; and Dr. Sar- These advantages could be shown after 36 nat is an associate professor and chairman, pediatric dentistry, months of follow up, whereas most other descrip- Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Tel tions failed to record the long-term fate of the treated Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. Reprint requests should be sent to: Dr. Erica Amir, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Maurice and teeth. Apparently, the pulp amputation was not very Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Tel Aviv Uni- deep and with normal eruption, enough pulp tissue versity, Tel Aviv, Israel. remained supragingivally to respond to vitality tests at recall visits. 1. Andreasen JO: Traumatic Injuries of the Teeth, 2nd ed. Co- Potential failures of the pulpotomy technique penhagen; Munksgaard, 1981 p 71. include pulpal necrosis, internal resorption, and pulp 2. Andreasen JO: Etiology and pathogenesis of traumatic dental canal obliteration.5-19 Therefore, some authors9-20 ad- injuries. A clinical study of 1298 cases. Scand J Dent Res 78: 339-42, 1970. vocate complete root canal treatment once the root 21 22 3. Anehill S, Lindahl B, Wallin H: Prognosis of traumatized per- closure has been achieved. Bodenham and Krakow manent incisors in children. A clinical-roentgenological after believe that complete root treatment is recommend- examination. Svensk Tandlak T 62:367-75, 1969. ed only in cases where a post and core are needed 4. Hargreaves JA: The traumatized tooth. Oral Surg 34:502-15, for adequate restoration of the tooth. Cvek5 reported 1972. 5. Cvek M: A clinical report on partial pulpotomy and capping that 58 of 60 teeth with complicated crown fracture with calcium hydroxide in permanent incisors with compli- healed successfully after being treated by partial pul- cated crown fracture.