The cracked tooth a dilemma: Terminology, classification, diagnosis, and management

We all come across apparently healthy teeth eliciting complex and often bizarre symptoms. The patient will give a long history of undiagnosed but severs pain, and of treatments which failed to provide relief. These symptoms can be attributed to a “cracked” tooth. There are many terminologies and classification in the literature for cracked teeth that can be as confusing as the array of clinical symptoms which are associated with this condition. This article provides an overview of the clinical features, diagnosis, classification and management of cracked teeth, which may be a diagnostic challenge in clinical practice.