Patterns of periodontal destruction associated with incomplete root fractures.

OBJECTIVES To clarify the differential radiographic diagnostics of teeth with incomplete root fracture. METHODS Information on 88 teeth with either a vertical root fracture without displacement of the fractured fragments (n = 22), a vertical periodontal defect (n = 22), a periodontal-endodontic lesion (n = 22) or an endodontic-periapical lesion (n = 22) was collected retrospectively from the patients' records. RESULTS Significant differences in the mean probing pocket depths were found between each of the four groups of lesions. Teeth with root fractures demonstrated smaller mean probing pocket depths than those with either periodontal or periodontal-endodontic lesions. Radiographic bone loss was significantly greater in teeth with periodontal and periodontal-endodontic lesions when compared with those with fractures. In teeth with vertical root fractures, there was no correlation between the probing depth and the radiographic bone loss (r = 0.01). The correlation coefficient between the greatest probing ...