Third molar autotransplant planning with a tooth replica.A year of follow-up case report

Abstract

The advantages of dental autotransplantation and its high level of clinical success mean that it should be considered as a therapeutic option when replacing a lost tooth. In order to achieve optimum results, it is necessary to know the technique of dental autotransplantation, promoting its use whenever the clinical conditions to perform it are present. The objective of this article is to describe the technique in detail by means of a clinical case of a dental autotransplant whose donor tooth was a third unerupted molar. A 39-year-old male patient with no medical history of interest. On clinical examination, tooth 2.6 shows vertical fracture with indication of exodontia. A compatibility study is carried out using a CBCT and after this, a subsequent preparation of a 3D-printed replica of the donor tooth 2.8 is made. A step-by-step description is given of the autotransplantation technique from 2.8 to 2.6. After this, antibiotic coverage, semi-rigid splinting and root canal treatment are carried out in a short time. Results are shown at 12 months. The main factor for the success of this technique is the preservation of periodontal ligament cells. The unerupted teeth are the only ones that fully preserve the periodontal ligament, but they require greater surgical skills. Autotransplantation is a predictable treatment alternative to dental implants, being above all an option indicated to replace teeth with dental fissures or vertical root fractures or poor restorative and/or endodontic prognosis. The third molars are the most used teeth for transplantation, due to their indications for extraction in a high percentage preserving the entire periodontal ligament. The diagnosis by CBCT and the use of 3D- printed replicas of the tooth to be transplanted have meant a highly significant improvement in the prognosis and predictability of the technique.