Regenerative endodontic treatment and traumatic dental injuries

Pulp necrosis is the most common complication following dental trauma and is often associated with apical periodontitis. The management of these teeth is challenging in terms of large root canals, open apices, thin dentinal walls, and short roots. Over decades the conventional treatment for these teeth was calcium hydroxide apexification, a time-consuming procedure despite high success rates. Subsequently after the introduction of mineral trioxide aggregate and hydraulic calcium silicate materials single visit apical plug procedures became increasingly practiced with comparable success rates to the conventional apexification. The search continued afterward for a clinical procedure that may stimulate further root development and apical closure to avoid the long-term complication of root fracture after apexification. Regenerative procedures using stem cells derived from the apical papilla and blood clots as scaffolds were then introduced for the management of immature teeth, with variable protocols and success rates. This review will cover the evidence available and current position of regenerative endodontic procedures in traumatized immature teeth with apical periodontitis, in terms of clinical protocols, outcome, and potential prognostic factors.