Placing crowns to prevent tooth fracture is thought to be a common but
infrequently documented treatment procedure. Two studies are describe
d that provide information about dentists' use of crowns to prevent to
oth fracture. North Carolina general dentists indicated that 44% of th
e crowns they placed were for the principal reason of fracture prevent
ion. However, when groups of dentists examined the same patients, ther
e was little agreement about which teeth should be crowned due to risk
of fracture. These results suggest that the placing of crowns to prev
ent fracture merits a careful determination of effectiveness and appro
priateness.