Is it possible to transplant a tooth? Features of autotransplantation

Indications and contraindications Pros Cons Implantation process Alternatives
Teeth transplantation from your own dentition is a procedure that is used as an alternative to implantation. Every person has teeth that are not involved in the chewing process, do not affect the bite and do not perform any important functions. These are wisdom teeth. They are the ones who most often become donor teeth. But not always.

There are teeth that grow outside the arch, spoil the smile, and provoke inflammation. You can get rid of the problem through orthodontic treatment: installing splints, plates, braces. There are times when the only option is deletion. Then the tooth has a chance to benefit its owner. It can be transplanted to a place where a tooth is lost or planned to be pulled out.

Another source of donors for transplantation is supernumerary teeth. Some people grow double teeth. Such units are direct candidates for removal. At the same time, they can be beneficial by replacing a sick or lost brother.

Replacing an artificial root

Sometimes it happens that the patient’s body rejects the implant. Most often this happens due to the fact that the body perceives the implant material as a foreign body. In this case, the dentist has no choice but to remove the implant. Fortunately, nowadays it is possible to reuse an implant of a different design. Reimplantation is necessary in the following cases:

• implant rejection;
• dentist mistakes;
• use of a defective implant;
• the patient’s failure to comply with the dentist’s recommendations;
• deterioration of general health;
• expired implant.

Separately, it is worth mentioning jaw injuries. Sometimes even a minor injury causes the artificial structure to begin to wobble. In this case, you have to resort to reimplantation.

At the same time, a worn-out crown can be replaced by installing it on the previous artificial root. The same applies to replacing the abutment - the connecting link between the crown and the implant.

How much does a tooth transplant cost?

Each dental clinic sets its own prices for autotransplantation. And the price depends on the status of the center, the qualifications of the doctor, the complexity of the operation: whether the removal will take place during the operation or whether the work will take place in an already empty place, the anterior or chewing units will be replaced. But on average, transplanting your own tooth will cost from 25,000 to 45,000 rubles.

It seems that transplanting your own organ to yourself is much cheaper. Since there are no costs for expensive materials: implant, abutment and crown, or the work of a dental technician. “Everything is yours” as they say. But the price is not much lower than implantation.

How is the old implant removed?

First of all, it is worth saying that if any problems arise with the implants, then you should only contact the clinic where they were installed. This is important, including for financial reasons. The savings are explained by the fact that a new design calculation is not required.

Most implant manufacturers usually guarantee their impeccable service for 5-7 years. Reputable manufacturers provide such a guarantee for decades and even for life. Of course, the cost of such implants is very high, if not unaffordable for most of our fellow citizens. In addition, reimplantation is not considered the fault of the manufacturer, and therefore has to be paid for again. Only some clinics do it for free in order to raise their authority.

This dental operation is performed in the following sequence:

• disinfection of the oral cavity;
• crown removal;
• removal of the implant from the jawbone.

After this, the patient will have to undergo examinations to determine the cause of implant rejection. After doctors determine the cause, the treatment stage begins.

Preparatory measures

First, you should visit your dentist. To decide whether dental surgery (replantation) can be performed in this case, the doctor carefully examines the condition of the socket, the oral cavity and the prolapsed unit. For a complete clinical picture, an x-ray will be required. If no contraindications are identified, the oral cavity is prepared for the upcoming manipulation:

• Healing caries, if there is one in the mouth.
• Professional teeth cleaning.
• Tartar removal.
• Thorough antiseptic treatment.

Oral hygiene after implant removal

For several hours after removal of the implant, you should avoid eating altogether. You should absolutely not drink alcohol or smoke for two days. This can cause inflammation not only in the gums, but also in the jawbone. During the first day after surgery, you should not brush your teeth or even rinse your mouth with elixir solutions. Then you can brush your teeth only with a soft toothbrush. In this case, irrigators and flosses should not be used at the site of implant removal.

Do I need to insert a tooth myself?

In case of incomplete dislocation, the crown that protrudes strongly from the gums at the scene of the incident can be carefully inserted into place without applying significant effort. This will prevent complete tooth loss, the likelihood of which is quite high. But you shouldn’t touch a knocked-out baby tooth; it’s better to quickly go to the dentist to identify possible damage to soft tissue and bone.

If a piece of a tooth breaks off, you should rinse your mouth with clean water, try to find the fragment and rush to see a qualified doctor.

Sequence of re-implantation

The first stage is examination and treatment.

At the second stage, the surgical operation is performed directly. At this time, the supporting part of the implant is installed in the bone bed, which in most cases is first increased in size using a special cutter.

The third stage of re-implantation begins one to two weeks after root installation. At this time, an incision is made on the mucous membrane to expose the upper part of the implant. This is necessary to install a gum former or an abutment made of titanium. The dentist begins the fourth stage only after three to six months. At this time, a dental crown is installed.

How does natural tooth transplantation work?

The operation is carefully prepared, the patient must undergo examination, diagnosis and at the time of the intervention not suffer from acute diseases.

A tooth can be transplanted either into the socket of a newly extracted tooth, or a place for it can be created artificially using dental instruments. It is important that as little time as possible passes between the removal of the donor and its transplantation. Otherwise, the tissues that normally hold the tooth in the socket - the periodontal ligaments - will die. The most common procedure is wisdom tooth transplantation. Removing it can be a problem in itself. The roots of such teeth are complex, often intertwined. Carrying out an operation without damage requires great skill.

• Preparation
  . Sanitation of the oral cavity and professional cleaning are necessary to eliminate the possibility of infection.
• Diagnostics
  . A computed tomography scan and measurements are required.
• Making a 3D model
  . This stage is carried out only in clinics with appropriate equipment. In dentistry it is simpler; the tooth is adjusted by eye during transplantation.
• Preparing the bed
  . If the tooth has been lost previously, the bed is formed artificially. If removal occurs during replantation surgery, then the hole formed in the gum is used.
• Trying on a 3D model
  . Based on the scan, an exact copy of the donor is made. It is used during the surgical stage to form a bed or adjust it.
• Removing a donor
  . It is performed under anesthesia. Requires special care, because you need to preserve all the tissue.
• Installation
  of the donor, its
  fixation
  with a splint.
• Bite removal
  . The chewing tubercles are polished so that the tooth does not come into contact with the antagonist and does not participate in chewing (temporary measure).
• Recovery period
  . It lasts differently for everyone, it takes about 2-3 weeks.
• Depulpation
  .
  Removal of the nerve (pulp). During transplantation, the pulp receives damage that leads to death. If it is not removed, decay products can cause inflammation and the work will be in vain, the tooth will not heal. After removal, calcium preparations are introduced into the cavity and a temporary filling is placed. another 2 weeks,
  the canals are filled.
• Bite restoration
  . The surface relief, previously polished, is restored with composite materials.
• Prosthetics
  . An inlay or crown is made to correct any discrepancies and protect the tooth.

Indications and contraindications for natural tooth reimplantation

This type of operation is the exception rather than common practice. It is impossible when there is atrophy of a section of the jaw bone, as well as when adjacent crowns are closed.

When is reimplantation indicated:

• loss due to crown injury;
• dislocation when removing molars;
• jaw bone fracture;
• root perforation;
• canal obstruction;
• injury when removing adjacent crowns.

Contraindications for reimplantation:

• extensive caries;
• the presence of diseases of the jaw bone tissue in acute form;
• gum disease;
• severe curvature of the roots;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• mental illness;
• acute infectious disease;
• oncological neoplasms;
• acute radiation sickness.

Indications for use

Autologous tooth transplantation may be necessary in the following cases:

• tooth loss due to injury;
• the need for removal due to widespread caries (deep type);
• congenital absence of a tooth when there was no germ;
• removal is done for orthodontic purposes, since the tooth affects the malocclusion.

You can find cases of transplanting your own tooth in childhood or adolescence. This is due to the fact that implantation is contraindicated before the age of 18, since the jaw bones are growing and are not yet fully formed. And the survival rate of your own tooth is almost the same as that of an implant, and with a good outcome of the operation, it will grow and develop along with its owner. The work of the orthopedist will move the teeth so that the empty space of the taken donor will not be noticeable.

Which tooth can be reimplanted?

A lost tooth can be implanted only if it meets certain conditions. These are:

• integrity of the tooth crown;
• straight tooth roots;
• proper storage of a lost tooth (up to two days in a sodium chloride solution at a temperature of 37 - 40 degrees).

The success of this operation greatly depends on the professionalism of the dentist. This is especially true when the tooth is not lost, but is severely loosened due to injury. Such a tooth sometimes has to be carefully removed and then put back in place.

Kinds

Traditional orthopedic classification distinguishes two treatment formats:

1. Vital restoration - used in situations where the crown and pulp remain unharmed, is not accompanied by canal filling, and involves splinting the row using wire or styracrylic tape.
2. Devital restoration is a more complex procedure that combines extraction of the problematic tooth, removal of root processes and filling of the canals with composite material. The element is reintegrated into the row after processing is completed.

The choice in favor of one of these methods depends on the results of the examination conducted at the preliminary stage.

Advantages of reimplantation

Perhaps it’s worth repeating and saying that reimplantation can only be successful if you consult a doctor in a timely manner. As for the advantages, these include:

• preservation of natural teeth;
• the operation is performed once;
• the possibility of implanting a lost tooth after two days;
• quick implantation;
• long service life (5 - 20 years);
• the cost of the operation is low.

It is also worth considering as an advantage the fact that when a natural tooth is implanted, the overall architecture of the dentition is not disturbed. Inflammation during implantation is practically not observed. Neighboring teeth do not move, and degeneration of the jaw bone area does not occur.

What is tooth replantation

Modern technology allows you to implant a lost tooth unit into your own alveolar bed. Most often, replantation is prescribed for adults. If a doctor decides to perform surgery on a child, there must be a good reason for this. For example, when, due to the loss of a tooth, deformation of the dentition or improper formation of the jaw begins.

If a tooth falls out due to injury, you should immediately place it in a saline solution at room temperature or plain water, and then consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Important! Long-term storage of teeth at home is unacceptable. Most often this leads to its damage and rejection after surgery.

Sequence of the operation

Reimplantation of a natural tooth is always done under local anesthesia and in several stages. Their order is as follows:

• anesthesia;
• careful extraction of the tooth while maintaining the size of the socket;
• keeping the extracted tooth in a sodium chloride solution;
• treatment of the extracted tooth, if necessary, and removal of plaque;
• cleaning the socket and gum pocket;
• disinfection of the socket and gum pocket;
• placing the tooth in its original place.

Complete implantation of the tooth usually occurs on the 20th day after surgery.

General overview

Technically, replantation is a set of medical procedures that result in the return of a damaged tooth to the alveolar socket. This technique is implemented quite rarely, which is due to the need for a number of mandatory conditions to coincide. The basis for choosing this method of dental treatment is the diagnosis of dislocation, chronic periodontitis, which negatively affects the condition of bone tissue, as well as the occurrence of problems with single-rooted frontal incisors that form the smile area.

Reimplantation of a natural tooth with splinting

In some cases, the installed tooth must be strengthened. This technique is called splinting. Its essence is to install a special thin plate or aramid thread on the inner surface of the tooth crown and on two adjacent teeth. In addition, splinting can be done using caps. In the latter case, the patient will have to wear them for a month, or even a month and a half.

Splinting in most cases is used for dislocated teeth, as well as single-rooted ones. Multi-rooted teeth are installed without splinting. The splinted tooth is excluded from the bite by slightly grinding down the tubercles on its upper part.

How it is carried out: stages of treatment

Autotransplantation requires a tooth with healthy characteristics. For these purposes, a rudiment with a dental follicle, which contains cells ready for growth and development of the root system, works very well. Wisdom teeth are taken to replace 6 and 7; if the front tooth is injured, then any suitable 4.5 can be taken. Often, for upper losses, the donor is the lower teeth, because the lower tissues are restored well.

1. Diagnostics. X-rays and CT scans are used to evaluate the condition of the jaw bone and tooth roots;
2. Creation of a computer model of the donor tooth. It is printed on a 3D printer based on CT data;
3. Extraction of an infected or decayed tooth;
4. Treatment of the hole with an antiseptic and antibiotic. If the place has been empty for a long time, the hole is formed surgically;
5. Trying on a 3D model of the tooth so that the shape of the hole for the roots fits perfectly;
6. Removal of a healthy tooth or germ. One of the important points is to preserve the ligamentous apparatus. The success of donor integration depends on its viability;
7. Transplantation of the removed tooth to a prepared site. The time between extraction and installation should be no more than 25 minutes for the donor tissue to function normally;
8. Splinting and suturing.

After a few days, the sutures are removed, and after 25 days, the splints are removed. Then the orthopedic correction begins.

Postoperative period

During the first two hours after tooth reimplantation, you should under no circumstances eat or drink. Then for 24 hours you should stop cleaning and rinsing your mouth, spitting, smoking and drinking alcohol. In addition, physical activity should be avoided during this time. Under no circumstances should you eat solid food for three to four days after surgery. It is advisable not to eat anything other than thin first courses. During this time, some patients may experience tissue swelling. In such a situation, you have to apply compresses and take antibiotics and sometimes painkillers.

A prerequisite is to visit the dentist two days after the operation.

Preparation for replantation

Before the operation, the doctor examines the patient’s oral cavity and selects the appropriate technique.

Mandatory training includes such manipulations as:

• treatment of identified dental diseases;
• cleansing tooth enamel from stones and pathogenic plaque;
• cutting off the upper part of the root;
• cleaning and filling carious cavities (if any).

After preparation and elimination of defects, the patient is sent for an x-ray. Using X-rays, the doctor assesses the quality of the filling and then begins replantation.

Important! Immediately before the procedure, you should not eat, smoke, drink alcohol or exercise, and your mouth should be clean.

What could be the consequences?

If the implantation process proceeds normally, it is usually completed 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. The process of tooth implantation itself can proceed in different ways. It depends on what preliminary measures the dentist had to apply

During periodontal preparation, the periosteum of the alveoli and the remains of periodontal tissue are completely preserved.

With periodontal fibrotic preparation, the alveolus and tooth roots are only partially preserved. During osteoid preparation, the periosteum of the alveoli and periodontium is completely removed.

The fastest way to implant a natural tooth is with the periodontal preparation method. On the contrary, this process occurs most slowly with the osteoid method.

After reimplantation, intact and completely healthy teeth last the longest. If the operation is not performed accurately, it may happen that the tooth roots begin to dissolve, causing the tooth to become very loose and have to be removed.

Advantages and disadvantages

As for the advantages, the following points can be highlighted:

• Possibility of preserving the original tooth.
• High percentage of engraftment, even when compared with dental implantation.
• A relatively painless process.
• Quick results.
• A replanted unit will last up to 15 years if properly maintained.

Among the disadvantages, a large number of contraindications can be noted. In addition, dental services are not performed if the crown part of the tooth has at least some defects. Some are stopped by too long a recovery period, which entails a special diet and careful attitude to the oral cavity. Another disadvantage is the unpredictability of the situation. The body can perceive this manipulation in different ways, and situations when a tooth is rejected, despite the fact that it is native and stands in a physiological place, cannot be ruled out.

In fact, this manipulation is very complex and requires a professional approach. Even the slightest mistake on the part of the doctor can lead to an unfavorable outcome. Contact only trusted dentists so as not to be disappointed with the final result.