Management of explanted teeth

Abstract

The incidence of traumatic injuries to the dentition is in part a consequence of the modern leisure activities of the society. Avulsion of permanent anterior teeth is the most common of these injuries, especially in the young dentition where the root development is still incomplete and the periodontium is very resilient. The incidence of tooth avulsion ranges from 1% to 11% of all injuries to the permanent dentition. The most frequently involved age group is from 7–10 years and the maxillary central incisor is the most frequently avulsed tooth in the permanent dentition. Essential to functional and esthetic success of the treatment of these injuries is proper diagnosis and prompt primary and adequate secondary management. The biological processes, which ultimately determine the prognosis for survival of these teeth after reimplantation are pulp survival and healing of periodontal ligaments. This presentation will review the present day knowledge on avulsion of permanent teeth, treatment objectives, and the current management of these injuries. Factors that are consistently found to influence the prognosis of reimplanted teeth, such as the time the tooth is out of the socket, storage media, and the endodontic protocol will also be discussed.