Autotransplantation: A biological treatment alternative for a patient after traumatic dental injury

Traumatic dental injury is considered a public dental health problem because of a high childhood incidence, high treatment costs, and prolonged treatment time. Although management guidelines for traumatized teeth have been outlined, tooth loss following trauma is occasionally unavoidable. Here, we describe the successful interdisciplinary management of a traumatized central incisor in an 11-year old boy that was extracted because of a poor prognosis and restored by the autotransplantation of an immature donor tooth into the site. The patient underwent orthodontic treatment in order to close the donor site space and bring the autotransplanted tooth to an ideal position. Postorthodontic treatment radiographs and photographs revealed an esthetic and functional natural tooth replacing the lost tooth. The findings from this case suggest that autotransplantation offers unique advantages as a treatment modality for the restoration of missing teeth, particularly in growing children.