Rehabilitation of a patient with mini-implants after avulsion of the upper incisors: A 13-year follow up

Treatment following avulsion of a tooth in the growing patient requires a complex multidisciplinary therapeutic approach for the clinical team. The literature offers different therapeutic solutions following the avulsion of one or more teeth, but unfortunately all of them have negative repercussions on the patients' life quality, they involve long treatment plans, they are not always feasible, and they have limits. Alternatively, a new treatment concept that uses mini-implants can be considered and is presented with its rationale, clinical steps and 13 years of follow up of one case.

Commentary: A Translational Medicine Approach to Tooth Transplantation

The autogenous tooth transplantation approach to replace missing teeth has been in use for a long time. Different surgical techniques have been developed to improve prognosis and longevity of transplanted teeth with complete root formation. Many factors reportedly affected short- and long-term success of the procedure: complications such as ankylosis and root resorption up to the tooth exfoliation have occurred frequently. Several studies have appeared on this issue over the years. However, outcomes of transplantations have not yet been conclusively determined as no randomized clinical trials have been published on this issue, and their effectiveness has been evaluated only in observational studies. On the other hand, interesting information from specific experimental studies on the healing pattern of the interface between the root surface and alveolar bone in the replantation/transplantation model, and from non-related studies dealing with mechanically induced periodontal trauma, has been available and potentially useful since the 1970s to 1980s. However, this information has not been incorporated into clinical literature regarding tooth autotransplantation. This commentary aims to show how information from related and unrelated experimental models was translated to a clinical setting and led to a novel approach, successfully applied, in the autotransplantation of a multirooted tooth with completed root formation.

Tooth auto-transplantation as an alternative treatment option: A literature review

Rapidly evolving implantation and alveolar ridge reconstruction techniques created a new area in modern dentistry where tooth loss is no longer a problem. Endless variations of implant's length, diameter, surface, and design along with autogenous, alogenous, aloplastic, or xenogenous bone substitutes made it possible to recreate physiological occlusion, esthetic and masticatory function. However, none of nowadays technologies in implant dentistry have the potential to adapt to a growth and development changes of a child's jaw. Therefore, patient's young age is a restriction for implantation and a particular challenge for a dentist willing to restore missing tooth. Thus, tooth auto-transplantation can be a good choice for treatment. The objective of this review is to underline the biologic principles required for successful auto-transplantation of teeth. Limits, indications, technique, and prognosis will be analyzed.