[Root fracture after crown prosthesis--observation and analysis with EDS].

Root fractures in the teeth under or after the crown prosthetic treatment after occur intra-alveolary. In the many cases, these teeth will be diagnosed to be extracted. Therefore, root fracture is one of the clinical problems for clinicians. There are many clinical and descriptive reports on root fractures after crown prosthesis. But more fundamental studies should be done for the prevention of root fractures. We observed the sampled tooth with scanning electron microscopy and analytical electron microscopy. The tooth with root fractures after the treatment of crown prosthesis was used in this study. The following were the results of this investigations: 1) The cohesional substances, which are regarded as oral bacteria and organic materials, were observed in the definite section on the surface of fracture. 2) The line of the root fracture ran parallel with the canaliculus dentalis. 3) The cracks were observed to run through the face of crosscutting of canaliculus dentalis. 4) Ca and P on the surface of the fracture is 32.75 and 27.70 (atomic %), respectively (Ca/P 1.18). These values are lower than these of control group. In the same surface of the root fractures, the values of Ca and P in the middle parts were less than those of the outside. Reversely, the more deep parts have a little higher values than those of the middle parts. 5) The values of Zn increased on the surface of the fracture than those of the control. 6) The values of S was not detected on the control surface. On the other hand, S was detected in the relatively higher density (15.04) on the surfaces of the root fractures.