Tooth autotransplantation. What's the limit of our possibilities in conservative treatments?

Aim

When an extraction is necessary, it is possible to choose a donor tooth and transplant it into the site of the previous extraction. Aim of the present article is to present a series of cases of tooth autotransplantation to demonstrate how it is possible to preserve natural teeth and avoid or delay implant therapy.

Summary

In the 3 cases presented the donor site was initially selected and the compatibility of the roots was evaluated. Then the compromised tooth was atraumatically extracted and the donor tooth was replanted in the receiving site; after 2 weeks the sutures were removed and 2 or 3 months later root canal therapy was performed. The results show medium/long-term success with controls from 4 to 12 years without any primary or secondary complication.

Key learning points

Tooth autotransplantation allowed to completely restore the original functional and morphological condition of patient. Even if implantology is the most common therapy for replacing missing teeth, tooth autotransplantation should be considered as the elective treatment if a donor tooth is available.