Cracked Tooth Syndrome (CTS) was first described by Cameron in 1964 as "an incomplete fracture of a vital posterior tooth involving the dentin and occasionally extending into the pulp ". In the late 1970s, many authors used different terms to describe the same condition, but Maxwell and Braly (1977) advocated the use of the generic term "incomplete tooth fracture", which was first described by Ritchey et al in 1957. Some recent studies have also proposed a revised definition as "a fracture plane of unknown depth and direction which passes through the tooth structure and which, if not already involving it, may progress to communicate with the pulp and/or the periodontal ligament". (Ellis, 2001) While complete tooth fracture occurs regardless of age, “cracked teeth” or incomplete tooth fracture appears to primarily affect middle-aged patients between the ages of 30 and 60. (Ellis et al, 1999) “Broken teeth” are the third most common cause of tooth loss in industrialized countries. (Geurtsen et al, 2003) It is also a common occurrence in dental practices, with an estimated average of 5 in 100 adults affected each year. (Bader et al, 1995) In a more recent study by Krell et al (2007), an incidence rate of 9.7% was recorded among 8175 patients who attended a private endodontic practice over a six-year period . Although the data revealed a nearly two-fold increase in CTS cases, limited studies are available to validate these findings. In recent years, the increased awareness of "cracked teeth" and the greater number of patients who maintain their natural teeth even at an advanced age are possible explanations for the increase in the incidence of "cracked teeth" observed in dental practices. Older adults may be more susceptible to CTS due to post-eruptive enamel changes... middle of paper ......treatment of painful and cracked teeth: six-month evaluation. Operative Dentistry 28: 327-333.23. Opdam NJ, Roeters JJ, Loomans RA, Bronkhorst E (2008). Seven-year clinical evaluation of painful and fractured teeth restored with a direct composite restoration. Journal of Endodontics 34: 808-811.24. Homewood CI (1998). Cracked tooth syndrome: incidence, clinical outcomes and treatment. Australian Dental Journal 43: 217-222.25. Davis R, Overton J (2000). Effectiveness of bonded and non-bonded amalgams in the treatment of teeth with incomplete fractures. Journal of the American Dental Association 131: 496-498.26. Van Dijken JWV (2000). Direct resin composite inlays/onlays: an 11-year follow-up. Journal of Dentistry (28): 299-300.27. Tan I, Chen NN, Poon CY, Wong HB (2006). Survival of root-filled cracked teeth in a tertiary institution. International Journal of Endodontics (39): 886-889.