VERTICAL ROOT FRACTURES IN ADJACENT MAXILLARY PREMOLARS - AN ENDODONTIC-PROSTHETIC PERPLEXITY

Vertical root fractures in endodontically treated teeth occur frequent ly in teeth or roots in which their mesiodistal dimension is narrow, s uch as the maxillary upper premolars. Two cases of vertical root fract ures in two adjacent maxillary reconstructed teeth are presented. As i n many cases of vertical root fractures, the primary diagnosis was of endodontic treatment failure. The final diagnosis of the fractures was made either by the radiograph showing separation of root segments in one case, or by surgical exploration in the other. In both cases, toot h extraction was unavoidable.