Autotransplantation of Tooth in Children with Mixed Dentition

Abstract

Autotransplantation of tooth in children is the surgical movement of a tooth from one place in the mouth to another in the similar individual. Once thought to be uncertain, Autotransplantation has achieved high success rates and is an outstanding option for tooth replacement in children. Although the indications for autotransplantation are narrow, careful patient assortment coupled with a suitable method can lead to exceptional esthetic and useful results. One benefit of this procedure is that placement of an implant-supported prosthesis or other form of prosthetic tooth replacement is not needed. A review of the recommended surgical technique as well as success rates is also discussed.

Tooth Autotransplantation; Clinical Concepts

“…These are some of the clinical situations in which autotransplantation can be considered. [23,24,25] a) Tooth loss secondary to dental caries: The first molars are the most common permanent tooth lost due to caries and periodontal diseases. The third molars may be considered for the replacement of this tooth.…”

“…If the transplant is not stable but no occlusal adjustment is needed, splinting with wire and resin can be delayed for 2 or 3 days after suture splinting because the former is time consuming and bleeding during the surgical procedure makes optimal results difficult. [22,23] The occlusion must be checked to ensure that no occlusal interference is present. If a suture is used for stabilization, ideally the occlusal contact should be reduced extra-orally prior to positioning of the donor, taking care not to damage the PDL.…”

“…Inflammatory resorption may become evident after 3 or 4 weeks, while replacement resorption may not become evident until 3 or 4 months after transplantation. [5,23,25] Precautions for Failure: The incidence of both types of resorption can be decreased with atraumatic extraction of the donor tooth and immediate transfer to the recipient site to minimize the risk of injury to the periodontal ligament. [5,23,25] V.…”

“…[5,13] Successful tooth transplantation offers improved esthetics, arch form, dentofacial development, mastication, speech, and arch integrity. [21,22,23] The autotransplanted natural tooth has the capacity for functional adaptation and preservation of the alveolar ridge, which is advantageous when compared to a prosthesis or an ossointegrated implants that are stationary and do not erupt to compensate for further growth. This is an important consideration when dealing with missing teeth, whether congenital or acquired, in orthodontics of young patient.…”

“…This is an important consideration when dealing with missing teeth, whether congenital or acquired, in orthodontics of young patient. [23,24,25] Tooth autotransplantation however eliminates histocompactability issues and is successfully used with varying success. Our current understanding of periodontal healing has improved success rates and clinicians interest in the procedure.…”