Fracture of a sound tooth in a pilot under hypobaric conditions.

Dental fractures induced by changes in atmospheric pressure, called odontocrexis, are described in aviation dentistry articles. According to previous reports, these pathologies are induced exclusively in teeth with defective dental restorations. Nevertheless, in this case report we describe a tooth fracture occurring on an apparently sound tooth in a fighter pilot during a flight. All usual etiologies of this odontocrexis can generally be eliminated. This atypical fracture shows that all pathophysiology and contributing factors of odontocrexis are still widely unknown.