Long-term follow up of post-surgical tooth autotransplantation: a retrospective study

The aim of the present retrospective study was to evaluate the long-term results of tooth autotransplantation using the survival and success rates of transplanted teeth as outcome variables.

Thirty patients received a total of 44 transplants of immature teeth from 1987 to 1997. Seventeen of those patients with 25 transplants were recalled 10-20 years after tooth transplantation for complete clinical and radiographic examinations, followed by questionnaires that examined the patients' degrees of satisfaction. The incidence of all types of complications was carefully analyzed. Success was defined as being free of all complications over the entire observation period.

The long-term survival rate for transplants that were observed after at least 10 years was 96%. The cumulative complication rate (pulpal, periodontal, and operative complication rates) after an observation period of 10-20 years was 38.9%. Therefore, the success rate at 10 years was 61.1%.

The present study confirms that transplanted teeth have a high long-term survival rate and a lower long-term success rate. This procedure should be recommended and carried out in appropriate patients when necessary because it is the most biological approach, even though it is highly sensitive to technique.